


Holding on to Gravity

by paaatchi



Series: Love is a Metaphysical Gravity [1]
Category: Avengers, Marvel, Marvel Avengers Movies RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Also. Forget anything about Comics!Sigyn because Marvel fucked that one up, And eventually get caught, And gives the Avengers a headache, And takes a liking to the color green as well, Are the best brats in the Nine Realm, BAMF Sigyn, Because Loki is an ass sometimes, F/M, I'll leave you all to guess which tags are for the main storyline and which are for the backstory, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki and Sigyn sneak around, Loki's Kids, Make-up smut is a natural occurrence to Sigyn and Loki, Narvi is Mini-Loki, Odin's A+ Parenting, Smut is a must, This is my take on her in the MCU with little to no basis from mythology, Two separate story lines, and drive Tony mad, because one can never have enough Loki, much to Pepper's amusement, repeatedly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-05 06:25:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paaatchi/pseuds/paaatchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were three things Tony Stark was now sure of. One, Reindeer Games was going to have to cooperate with them to save the world. Two, Mrs. Reindeer Games was responsible for his current hangover. Three, Reindeer Games Jr. was to blame for Stark Tower suddenly becoming green.</p><p>Also known as:</p><p>The tale wherein Loki is forced to cooperate with the Avengers, the wife of the God of Mischief is discovered to be living on Earth with the spawn of said god and where Tony is the King of Sass and Loki becomes the King of Snark - the new duo that brings hell to the mind of one Director Fury.</p><p>All that and a sprinkling of just how Loki actually got the girl, much to the girl's consternation.</p><p>Tumblr (with visuals): http://a-metaphysical-gravity.tumblr.com/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**CLASSIFIED**

**FOR EYES OF S.H.I.E.L.D. OPERATIVES WITH LEVEL EIGHT CLEARANCE AND ABOVE ONLY**

RECEIVED: June 18, 2013

AGENT ON DUTY: Agent Melinda May [Level Six Clearance]

COMMANDING OFFICER: Agent Phil Coulson [Level Nine Clearance]

 

CONTENTS: Formal letter, a total amount of ten million US dollars ($10,000,000.00)

WITNESSED BY: Deputy Director Maria Hill, Director Nick Fury

 

[BLANK PAGE]

 

[PAGE ONE: LETTER]

 

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_I bid thee greetings._

_This is to inform the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or known simply as S.H.I.E.L.D., that Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard, is to serve his punishment here in Asgard under the supervision of the All-Father. This punishment is in light of his offences in Midgard, which your people call Earth. The punishment he has been served is to be, for an indefinite period of time, imprisoned in one of the cells of Asgard with no such visitors but family allowed. Be assured that these cells are of impenetrable forces and he will only be allowed out when the All-Father permits it._

_We wish S.H.I.E.L.D. the best of luck in future endeavors and attached within is an amount, in the currency of the United States of America, to help with the on-going rebuilding of the city of Manhattan in the state of New York in the country of the United States of America. To follow shall be another amount for the victims of the attempted take over by the Prince of Asgard. Please accept these as our intended wergild for the damage done by the second prince. It shall be delivered by one of our diplomats who shall also endeavor to answer any questions S.H.I.E.L.D. may have. Our representative shall arrive in ten Midgardian days._

 

_Kind regards;_

_Lord Arvid Morgenson_

_Private Secretary of the All-Father_

_Odin Borson_

_Ruler of the Nine Realms_

 

[BLANK PAGE]

 

[END REPORT]

 

* * *

  

“Come on team!”

 

A groan came from behind her and Skye raised an eyebrow. “Problem?”

 

“How you even have the energy to remain so… perky is beyond me.” Agent Grant Ward replied as he stopped near her position by a tree, waiting for their two other teammates to arrive with their equipment in tow.

 

“It’s called optimism Ward. You should try it sometime.” Skye replied as she leaned on said tree, arms crossed. Before he could retort, she held a hand up to stop him. “On second thought, you shouldn’t. I don’t want to hear what you think would pass as a pep talk.”

 

“I never gave it a single thought in the first place Skye.” Was Grant’s dry reply as they both got up once the murmuring voices of the two scientists could be heard. “Anything guys?”

 

“Nothing much but-“ Just as Fitz was talking, the device Simmons held in her hand started to buzz. “Bugger that, the Asgard guy was telling the truth.”

 

“Shut it Fitz and help me out.” Simmons replied, handing him her suitcase of equipment before moving towards the general area where the buzzing got stronger and stronger until she reached the very tree that Skye was leaning on. “A hand Agent Ward? Whatever it is must be under a root or something.”

 

Grant got down to his knees and, with some help of a knife, managed to cut the tangle of roots just as Skye took over, shovel in hand to dig up the dirt. He got up, dusting his hands as he surveyed the area. “At least the Asgardian wasn’t lying with his intel.” He spoke, mentioning the Asgardian diplomat who had come and gone just days ago.

 

During the short meeting, a meeting filled with protocol and introduction to the mess that is the Nine Realms; there was only one true gain for S.H.I.E.L.D. as far as Director Fury was concerned. And this was the knowledge that there would be a new threat on Earth. Despite being pressed continuously to divulge more information, the most gotten from the diplomat was a set of coordinates, saying that the All-Father’s Crown Prince may have proclaimed himself to be the protector of this realm, but that did not mean the All-Father had to protect Earth from the evils coming.

 

As expected, that little revelation left a nasty taste to those present and had been the reason why the meeting had abruptly ended.

 

CLANG

 

Grant looked over to the rest of the team and saw Skye repeatedly hitting something with her shovel while Fitz and Simmons continuously tried to take said shovel away from her. “Do we have it?”

 

“Better question is if it’ll explode if we touch it.”

 

“Wow Fitz. And here I thought Grant was in charge of pessimism.”

 

“Simply stating something that might happen Skye.” Fitz replied with a shrug.

 

“Well, whatever it is, it’s making my detector go bonkers.” Simmons interjected as she used her handheld detector to scan whatever could be seen of the object found in the ground.

 

Grant took a closer look and, ignoring the protests of the two scientists, dragged the object – a small chest, barely a foot long – and set it on the ground.

 

They waited a beat and then let out a sigh of relief.

 

“Well, if nothing has happened by now, I don’t think anything will happen.” Skye cheerily said as she made a move to get the remaining dirt off the chest.

 

“You’ve obviously haven’t been watching the right movies Skye.” Fitz replied as he too knelt down to get a closer look. “Hey! There are symbols on them.” He looked at them closer. And after a moment, threw his hands up as he stood. “Don’t know them. Why don’t you guys have a go at it?”

 

As it turned out, none of them had any clue as to what it was. Deciding that the winds were getting to chilly for their liking, they hiked the length back down the mountain to where Phil was waiting.

 

“I’d really like to start a petition for us not to travel to Iceland during this time of year. Or, well, any part of Scandinavia really.” Skye started as she and the rest went inside the waiting jet, going inside to warmth.

 

“I’d like to hear you make that request to the gods who used to live here.” Grant replied as he heaved the chest unto a table.

 

“I think the appropriate phrase is ‘are of gods who had affairs and ruled over us humans once upon a time’ or something to that effect.” Skye paused. “Hmm. Wonder if Apollo is real. He sounded hot in the myths. Or at least he did in the _Percy Jackson_ books.”

 

“I’ll make a memo to ask Thor the next time I see him.” Phil spoke as he turned towards the chest.

 

“Are they familiar to you?” Fitz asked as he watched Phil step away to a computer nearby.

 

He received no answer until Phil called them over.

 

“I thought it was familiar. Old Norse. Some of the characters were similar to those on the letter given to use by Asgard.”

 

* * *

  

“So Reindeer Games is behind bars-“

 

“I believe the accurate term is a force field.”

 

“-and they gave us money for compensation.” Tony Stark continued despite the interruption by Steve Rogers. “If that’s all, can someone tell me why I’m here and not in an island in the Caribbean sipping a margarita?”

 

“Because Pepper won’t let you,” came the dry response from Bruce Banner, who was sitting with the rest of the Avengers in a conference room in SHIELD headquarters. All except Thor that is, who nobody counted on seeing for a while considering his track record of appearing and disappearing. “I’m frankly surprised that they contacted us a year after the events.”

 

“The letter is just a precursor to what I called you in for.” Director Fury started as he gestured to a newer set of files in front of them. “What you’ll find is a short briefing of what occurred in the meeting. Long story short, we have a new threat and the All-Father has deemed it fit to wash his hands off this threat and leave us to figure things out.”

 

“Well that’s mighty rude of him.” Tony muttered under his breath as he opened the packet and scanned the first page, then the second page. One word stood out to him. “Prophecy? There’s a prophecy? Like a Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort one?”

 

“If you would all turn to page ten.” Fury waited until all did so before continuing on. “You’ll find there a picture of the scroll and on the next page is a translation from its original Old Norse.”

 

_An effort made but failed_

_True havoc shall once again gain_

_Darkness shall spread and win_

_Unless the forces be joined_

_To defeat the mighty Darkness_

_To herald light once more_

_The first warrior of light shall be_

_Someone who kills, someone for hire_

_A fire headed maiden of battle, she truly is_

_And with her shall be_

_A steadfast Hawk, an archer of good skill_

_Controlled by evil, he no longer is_

_Then comes the soldier_

_A mighty warrior he shall be_

_One thought long gone_

_But back once more is he_

_And then the three intellects shall be called_

_One a being of monstrous capability_

_But an elephantine sage he is in real_

_The second a scholar, a healer she is_

_A queen in all but name_

_Daughter with no shame_

_And then the man of Iron is the third_

_His own capabilities, he shows the world_

_His knowledge with no bounds_

_And then there are the two gods_

_One of thunder, the wielder of a great hammer_

_A weapon forged from one of the lights in heaven_

_Then the second shall be his opposite_

_A fiend of his own making he truly is_

_He is but a sorcerer of ice_

_Born of the frost but grown in glory’s shadow_

_It is these eight that shall defend the light from the rays of Darkness_

_To look for the keys at the Seven Lethal Wonders of the Ancient Times_

_The first shall reveal itself seven sunrises from this uncovering_

_A year from the coming of the sorcerer of ice_

_And the first Wonder shall have the look of the sun god_

_The defense shall end with the Benben returned to its home;_

_This shall be Darkness’ unraveling_

_If the eight not be joined, entrusted with their duty_

_Than Midgard’s fate shall be sealed_

 

“Is it just me or does this describe us?” Steve voiced out after finishing. “But if it is, then…”

 

“We’re going to need to get Point Break over here pronto.”

 

“And Loki.”

 

All eyes turned to Natasha who shrugged in response. “It’s plain to see the other god in the prophecy is Loki.” She pulled her folder closer and read from it. _“A fiend of his own making he truly is. He is but a sorcerer of ice, born of the frost but grown in glory’s shadow.”_ She looked back up at them. “Hate to say it but it fits him to a tee.”

 

Clint groaned and his head met the table. “I knew I was going to regret waking up today.”

 

“We can deal with Lord Voldemort later.” Tony started, a frown on his face. “Who wants to go scream for that Heimdall fellow to give us Point Break?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Well wouldn’t you know it? It worked.” Tony whistled in between his teeth as Thor appeared once again on the roof of Stark Tower. He took his sunglasses off as he and the others went to meet him.

 

“Friends! It is nice to see you all again! Heimdall tells me you are in need of me?” Thor asked as he stepped away from the gradually disappearing beam of light via Bifrost to greet them.

 

He was immediately filled in on why he was called so suddenly (“I was in the middle of a battle with a bilge snipe when Heimdall informed me that I was needed.”) and with a Pop-tart in hand, he examined the original picture of the prophecy.

 

“It seems that it is I and my brother.”

 

“No other way for this prophecy to be referring to anyone else?” Steve asked as he watched Thor finish his Pop-tart before moving to get another one.

 

“I see no reason why it is not as how it is interpreted. Written and spoken prophecies from the Vanir are very straight-forward unlike the woven prophecies.” Thor paused and he saw a confused face or two. “The Vanir are the sister race of us Aesir. Their ability to look into the future is well-known.”

 

“I see. So while we will have to deal with the possibility of having to work with Loki, we still have one more to look for. We only have seven when the prophecy clearly states it is eight.” Bruce said as he steered the conversation back to focus.

 

“But I already know who it is.” Thor sighed heavily, as if the thought of the person alone was enough of a burden. “But it will not be a wise choice to have them under the same roof. No. I do not think either one will want to see the other again after so long. 15 years I believe it has been in Midgardian years. Maybe even more.”

 

“Care to fill us in Point Break?”

 

“The scholar-healer that is a queen in all but name? It must be Princess Sigyn of Vanaheim.” Thor paused as he shook his head. “Loki will not like working with her. Not at all.”

 

“Well it’s a good thing nothing ever goes his way.“

 

Thor continued on as if Clint had not talked.

 

“And Princess Sigyn will not want to see Loki again either. They never did get along that well. It will be best if we do not tell her that she will have to work with her husband.”

 

“Reindeer Games has a wife?”

 

“That is a surprise but seeing as he has been alive for a millennia or two…”

 

“No. You don’t see the point Brucey-Boy. Reindeer Games gets laid. Birdy here and I thought he was all bent on world domination was because he didn’t get laid.”

 

“Get laid? I am not aware of this Midgardian phrase.” Thor looked up to Natasha, a figure he knew he could always rely on to answer his questions. When Natasha mouthed out to him ‘Later,’ he nodded and continued on. “Also, Princess Sigyn will not be easily found. She and my brother had a falling out and she left for Vanaheim. Next thing we know, we received a message about needing a break from court and all it entails. She received permission from the All-Father to study the history and culture of Midgard. Last I heard my brother mention her, she had finished with a place called Asia and now working on North America. Which was five or so years ago, so I know not where she may be if she still be here on Midgard.”

 

Clint sighed at that revelation.

 

“I knew this was getting too easy to be true.”

 

* * *

 

Day 41 of countless more days.

 

With a heavy sigh, Loki turned to his side, trying to close his eyes and get some sleep on his bed. Finding sleep eluding him, he opened his eyes and saw that those in the cell across his staring at him. Of course. His cell; his alone, with the comforts of his own chamber; or at least what mother – no, she was _Frigga_ now, not mother – could get him.

 

Before his thought could drift to how he ended up in this cell in the first place, he paused as he felt a somewhat familiar presence near him – the feeling of someone doing some form of astral projection. Half expecting it to be another visit from Frigga (There! He cheered himself silently as he remembered not to call her mother), he sat up ready to growl that she could do nothing to ease his imprisonment.

 

“Father?”

 

And it was as quick as that his frown left his face and he smiled, a sincere smile that had long been gone from him. “Narvi! What are you doing here?” He asked as he started to draw his son in his arms before coming to a stop, remembering that, as all the other times he had seen his son had been an illusion like this and to touch him would make the astral body disappear. He patted the space next to him instead and watched Narvi take a seat as he drew an illusion to mask them from those outside.

 

Narvi Lokason, Prince of Asgard and Vanaheim. And Jotunheim, though the little one did not know that yet. Loki looked down at his little mini-me, from the pale skin (though he vividly remembered that his dear Sigyn also had pale skin), to his black hair and the beginnings of the same facial structure as him. It was those blue-violet eyes so very different from his own that Narvi had gotten from his mother. And then there was that necklace, a gift from his mother-in-law, Freyja, upon their marriage. It was a device that amplified powers tenfold, although neither had ever used it for anything other than to enable easier astral projection throughout the worlds, used often used since Sigyn had uprooted herself and moved to Midgard as soon as Narvi was a month old.

 

Sigyn. He bit back a sigh as his attention back to his son, asking him another question before his previous one could be answered. “And does your mother know you’re doing this?”

 

He nodded, those obsidian locks bouncing along. He had not taken to using gel like his father had when he was young. “Mama says I can practice my astral projection as long as Aina is present.” He explained, mentioning his mother’s handmaiden.

 

“And it seems to have gotten better.” He paused, as if choosing his next words. “Are you and your mother back in Asgard?” He asked, wanting to know if he should expect a visit from Sigyn or not.

 

If he wanted her to see him in this state, he knew he didn’t.

 

“We’re still on Midgard daddy.” Narvi replied as he settled next to Loki on the bed, his feet kicking at the edges. “What does Asgard look like daddy?”

 

At that question, Loki paused once more before describing, the best that he could; the home that Narvi should be at right now, where Narvi and his other children should be. But then, it would be long before a child of his that was not Sleipnir would step foot here. He remembered the words muttered by Sigyn before she fled from Asgard for safety sixteen years ago.

 

Loki paused when he glanced down and saw Narvi glancing at him. “Yes son?” He asked, familiar with that questioning look in his son’s eyes since he too had the same look of curiosity.

 

“Why are you in a cell?”

 

For someone known as having a silver tongue, it was a weird feeling to not know what to say. Trying to string together a series of words to explain the situation, he stopped and decided for the safest answer. “Why don’t you go ask your mother?” He replied softly, a hand lifting to gently run through his hair before pulling away with a sigh.

 

Narvi nodded then sighed, his head tilting slightly, a habit Loki had noticed his son had gotten from Sigyn. “I have to go daddy. Mama will be back soon and she will want me to have finished my spell book.” He paused as a thought crossed his mind. “And mother said to expect a letter from her later this week.”

 

Loki nodded. “Be safe my son.” Loki whispered as he watched the astral form disappear in a soft glow of pale blue.

 

And he decided that the first thing he would do once he figured a way out was to see him. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Sophia?”

 

The figure in question looked up from her book, her eyes falling upon a male brunette who was standing in front of her unsurely. She gave him a small smile. “Yes Tyler?”

 

“I was just wandering if you were going to the party later. I just, I know you were invited and all and since you’ve never actually gone to one…”

 

“You want to show me around and help me ease in?” Sophia asked, head tilted as she tried for a kind smile on her face. “To answer your earlier inquiry, I shall not be going.” She gestured towards a small pile of books near her. “Finals are coming up and I can already tell that Trotsky is going to be a bitch.”

 

That and she had a son who needed all the supervision in the world since his ‘Loki tendencies’ had started overriding what little he got from her.

 

“Oh. Of course.” Tyler stepped away then gestured at the entrance to the library with his thumb. “Well then, I have class so..”

 

“See you next week Tyler.” She replied. As soon as he was out of her sight, her smile fell and she turned back to her book. “Can’t get a man on my own he says. Well, if Loki can see me now. Third guy this week to try and ask me out.” She muttered under her breath as she turned the page after taking note of something.

 

And three pages later, she stopped with a heavy sigh, distracted from taking in anything else Niccolo Machiavelli had to say about the role of morals when a leaders faced an issue, which is to say there would be no place at all. She knew that this was one human Loki would approve of.

 

Loki.

 

She groaned as her husband entered her mind yet again.

 

She was okay with him not seeing her for almost two decades. In fact, she expected since this separation was not one he wanted, she had wished it for herself, thinking that him coming to see her and Narvi would make things easier for someone to find her and she had told him herself. But to think the idiot had actually gone and tried to become King of Midgard.

 

Stupid, idiotic husband of hers needed to ‘get his shit together’ as humans aptly put it.

 

She had half a mind to kill him with her bare hands when she heard about it.

 

She had almost gone to the All-Father and All-Mother to talk them out of his punishment when she heard he was coming back to Asgard for trial. And then she remembered that he, out of spite, had turned her hair into snakes when they were pupils together, knowing that she was scared of the vile creatures. Needless to say, that got her back into the spirit of killing him again.

 

She shook the thought away as she attempted to continue her studies.

 

Here on Midgard, she was not Crown Princess Sigyn of Vanaheim, Princess of Asgard (but only through marriage). She was Sophia West, a student studying in an institution called Georgetown.

 

Thought on how to kill Loki a hundred times over would not do when she had a final in Social and Political Thought one day away.

 

Although she did file away the idea of chaining him into a chair and playing a horrid Midgardian song called ‘What Does the Fox Say’ on loudspeaker until he wished he were dead.

 

* * *

 

“Narvi?” Sigyn called out as she closed the door of the townhouse she owned. She dropped her keys in the bowl next to the door just as a black haired boy poked his head from the kitchen.

 

“Hi mama!”

 

“Did you do anything productive today?” She asked as she hung her jacket in the closet before turning to follow him inside the kitchen where Aina, the only handmaiden she had taken to Midgard at Loki’s behest, was cooking their dinner.

 

“I visited daddy.” Narvi replied as he went back to his seat on the kitchen counter, watching Aina cook.

 

Sigyn hummed in response, trying to avoid the wavering look Aina gave her. Her handmaiden never did approve of hiding Narvi. “How’s he doing? And did you wear grandma’s necklace like I told you to?”

 

“I did. And daddy…” Narvi paused and Sigyn watched him, easily hearing the cogs of his head working. A little bit more practice, she swore, and he would have that silver tongue of his father. “Why is father in a cell?”

 

Okay, maybe a lot more practice.

 

Sigyn sighed at this, easily remembering why she had held him off from visiting Loki for so long. “Well, you see… Loki, that is… Your father did some bad things so his father,” Sigyn winced; knowing Loki would not like her using that term to describe Odin. Not that she liked it either given everything. “The All-Father had him put there to think about his actions.”

 

“But why? What did daddy do?”

 

Before Sigyn could answer, the doorbell rang and she stood up. “I’ll get it Aina.” She said, thankful for any distraction that would give her time to think about her answer. And she was still thinking about her answer when she opened the door.

 

“Sister!”

 

* * *

  

“Any matches?”

 

“None yet sir.”

 

In the last day, Director Fury had been updated on the situation and had concurred that they could deal with the possibility of having to work with Loki, that their first priority was to get his wife on board before anything. Naturally, several people were apprehensive, given their history with Loki. Many questioned the attitude and tendencies of someone who would be married with Loki.

 

“No offense Thor, but what kind of woman marries someone like Loki?” Clint had asked when the particular meeting had been hashed out on the helicarrier.

 

Thor seemingly took offense as he gave a frown. “My brother was different and he was still the God of Mischief we loved when he married the Crown Princess Sigyn then.”

 

“Any chances she would be like him at all? So good then, so bad now?” Natasha had brought up to which Thor had answered that it would be impossible given Sigyn’s opposite nature to Loki.

 

“The most important question yet to be asked is what she saw in Rock of Ages anyway.”

 

“It was an arranged marriage.”

 

At that, the issue had died out.

 

Soon after, Thor had described Sigyn to an agent who also doubled as their sketch artist, describing every detail of Sigyn’s face he could remember until an accurate, or close to accurate, drawing had been approved by Thor. “Yes! That looks very much like my brother’s mate.”

 

And since then, every camera in the world had been accessed and the agents had been scanning every foot of the world looking for the Vanir Princess, quite like how they found Loki when he was in Germany. Once that process had started, it only took S.H.I.E.L.D. three hours to locate her and additional eight hours to get to her.

 

“And we’re here.” Steve said as he looked up from the sheet of paper he held and at the address in front of him. “This was where she was last seen entering.”

 

“Who’ll do the honors then?” Tony asked as he absent-mindedly rubbed the bracelet that would enable him to put his Iron Man suit on with little to no fuss.

 

“I shall. She will like seeing me after a while I think. She has always been kind to me.” Thor said as he stepped up and walked the few steps to the door. Then he looked back and gestured to the doorbell. “I just press this device, correct?” At Natasha’s nod, he did just that and it was barely a minute later when the door opened.

 

To those who did not know her personally, she looked the opposite of Loki. While Loki had been all green and black in clothes, she was wearing a pastel blue dress that barely passed her knees, having apparently adapted human clothes. While he had black hair, she herself was more Asgardian or Vanir looking with blonde hair, hair almost close to ashen white. They watched her violet-blue eyes widen as Thor gave her a hug and watched as she reluctantly relaxed and gave him a small pat on the shoulders.

 

“Damn. Reindeer Games got lucky.”

 

That earned Tony a glare from Steve.

 

Steve stepped up as soon as Thor let her down (which he literally did seeing as she only really reached his shoulder). “Hello ma’am. I’m Steve Rogers and-“

 

“What are you doing here Thor?” Before Thor could answer, she held up a hand. “No. Let’s go inside. My home is cast with a spell to keep Heimdall from listening in on me.” She opened the door wider and let them in and told them to go to the first door on the left which led to the dining room, the only place where all seven could be seated.

 

“What is this about?” She asked as she took a seat as well. “If this is about Loki, then I cannot help you Thor. You know how stubborn and thick-headed my husband is.”

 

“But aren’t you supposed to take his side, being the goddess of fidelity and all?” Clint asked as an eyebrow rose in question.

 

Sigyn gave him a look and said, in a highly sarcastic voice she must have picked up from Loki himself, “I am goddess of fidelity, yes, and I will always be loyal to my marriage. But what I am not is goddess of putting up with Loki’s stupidity, which got him imprisoned in the first place.”

 

“If it counts for anything, I like her.” Tony said, raising his hand.

 

Sigyn looked past Thor and looked dryly at his companions, giving them her attention for the first time. “Who are they Thor?”

 

“My friends, the Avengers.”

 

“Ah. The saviors of Manhattan.” Sigyn said with a sigh. “And why have you seen it to look for me?”

 

“There is a prophecy that the world, this world, will be in danger, and it mentions a scholar, a queen in all but name who also happens to be healer. Thor says it’s you.” Natasha explained. “The other roles are said to be us.”

 

“Given that my husband tried to become king of this world, why would I try to help save it?” Sigyn asked, leaning back as she gave them a sparing glance. “We’re married and I doubt anyone in Asgard remembers a time when we were not. What makes you think I would do the exact opposite of what he tried to do?”

 

“Because we know it’s an arranged marriage. And really Constance, you have glowing recommendations from Point Break over here and all those people who wrote Norse mythology in the first place.” Tony said.

 

“I’m sorry, but Constance?” Bruce asked, bewildered at his lab partner’s choice of nickname.

 

“Good. I thought I was the only one who didn’t get it.”

 

“You guys know. Constance from those Pendergast novels.” Tony waited a beat and saw they still didn’t get it. “And I thought I was the uncultured one.”

 

Sigyn sighed as she saw Narvi enter before any of the others could.

 

“Mama? I didn’t know we had visitors,” came Narvi’s soft tones as he stood at the doorway.

 

Sigyn sighed once more, deciding to just get it over with, thinking of this particular moment as that time she had foolishly decided to try human healing techniques and made a mistake in putting alcohol over a wound. She opened her arms and he took it as a sign to climb into them. She looked down at the boy. “Remember I told you that you had an uncle?” Narvi nodded and she continued, pointing to Thor. “Why don’t you go greet your Uncle Thor?”

 

“Hello…uncle?” Narvi started in an unsure voice as the others stared at the kid that looked no older than six years old.

 

“Well damned it all we have ourselves a mini-Reindeer Games. This is so fucked up.”

 

“Stark! There’s a kid!” Steve elbowed him and apologized to Sigyn.

 

“No worries. My son is truly sixteen years of age in Asgard.” Sigyn waved it off as she watched Narvi look up at Thor.

 

“I did not know I was again an uncle.” Thor said then he turned to Sigyn. “We were not informed of this.” He started in an accusing tone, using the royal ‘we.’

 

“And for good reason, Prince of Asgard. Why do you think Loki and I kept it from you and your family?”

 

“For whatever reason, it was and is unjust to keep the boy from his birthright!”

 

Sigyn glared at her brother-in-law for a moment before asking Narvi to go back to the kitchen to Aina to tell her of their guests. Before Narvi could complain that his mother was treating him like a child, he saw the look in her eyes and nodded before going to the kitchen, not wanting to hear whatever had set his mother off.

 

Sigyn straightened up. “And what is this birthright you mention? Is it his birthright as a Prince of Asgard and all the prejudices we have experienced? Is it his birthright as Prince of Vanaheim, a kingdom the All-Father has never fully trusted? Or is it as the heir to Jotunheim after Loki? Narvi is a half-Jotun, half-Vanir in direct line to the throne of Asgard. If we are talking about his birth rights, then it would have to be those three.” She started, voice not lifting from the soft octave she had earlier.

 

“Sigyn, please do not take that tone to me.”

 

“Why not Thor, because you are Crown Prince of Asgard? Well I am Crown Princess of Vanaheim, Princess of Asgard by marriage and since my husband should be King of Jotunheim, I should also be Queen. Not to mention I am Princess to two other realms due to my father and uncle. And yet I am not respected, as I should be, by the Aesir court, because I married the lesser prince and we are both sorcerers. Not to mention I care for his eight-legged horse of a child.” Sigyn paused then sat back.

 

“You know I do not think the same way as the rest of the court. And my friends are different from them.”

 

“Ah yes. Loki told me about your banishment.” Sigyn waved it away.

 

“You and brother speak?”

 

“Only through letters. Did you really think we were as estranged as we always are this time around? I only left for our son’s safety. Did you really think Odin would like an heir of Vanaheim so near to three thrones, especially the Asgardian throne? Especially after the Aesir-Vanir War?” Sigyn glanced at the others who had opted to watch them instead. “Sorry. Am I nothing like what you expected out of Loki’s wife?”

 

“I think it’s safe to say we can see how you’ve put up with being Loki’s wife.” Clint muttered under his breath as Thor tried to think of a reply of her previous question.

 

“Oh do not strain yourself brother.” Sigyn said as her anger left her and she leaned over to pat his arm. “Let us please not talk about the slights your father has done to me and my family and we shall get along.”

 

“Get along?” Tony asked, still trying to keep himself from making any side comments.

 

“We will have to get along to save my sanctuary for the last sixteen years, right?” Sigyn said, smiling softly. “Just because I do not have any love for the All-Father does not mean I will let Midgard crumble when I have come to love it. May I see this prophecy?”

 

Wordlessly they gave her a copy and watched as she read it thoroughly, lips forming a frown when she reached a particular line Thor knew she would not like.

 

“Are you telling me my husband will have to help save the very realm he tried to make kneel before him?”

 

Before anyone could even reply, Sigyn had burst into a laughing fit. Apparently the very thought was funny for the goddess.

 

“More importantly,” Tony started as he took the laughter as a sign he could make the usual snide remarks without the nervous feeling that the goddess could blast him to smithereens. “Are you telling me Reindeer Games has a child that is an _eight legged_ _horse_?”

 

“I’m telling you that he _gave birth_ to the horse.”

 

“And Sleipnir is now my father’s personal horse. A truly prestigious place for my nephew.”

 

Somewhere in the Asgard stables, a certain eight-legged horse sneezed at the same time as Loki.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“He seems like a bright boy,” says Thor as he waits for Sigyn at the foot of the stairs, watching Narvi try to fit in some books inside his duffle bag.

 

“He is. What more can you expect from the spawn of Loki.” Sigyn answers as she comes behind him, levitating forth a chest and handing it to Thor. “Healing materials. I still have some healing stones from Asgard, but it will need to be replenished soon. Can you carry it for me? I am out of practice at seior after losing my partner it seems.”

 

“Of course sister.”

 

“All packed Mrs. Reindeer Games?”

 

“Yes. And must you continue to call me such ridiculous names?”

 

“He wouldn’t be Stark if he did. Let me ma’am.” Steve said as he took her duffle bag. “The others are already inside. A couple of cars are waiting for us.”

 

True enough, there were three cars waiting, all driven by agents and as soon as they stepped out, the agents came to get their stuff.

 

“Mama, where are we going again?”

 

“We’re going on an adventure. Like the one’s your father used to tell you about.” Feeling Thor’s gaze on her, she looked up and gave him a small smile. “Loki told him about that time you got captured by a rock troll and had to dress as a female to be able to escape.”

 

Thor frowned at the memory then smiled as another memory came to him. “Then I shall have to tell my nephew about the time Loki almost got killed trying to get you to say you cared for him.”

 

Sigyn blushed at that. “Must you really?”

 

“If she won’t allow the mini-Voldy, I’d be happy to hear it Point Break.” Tony said as he got into the car with them.

 

“Must we be in the same vehicle as him?” Sigyn asked as she watched Tony pour himself a glass of whisky.

 

“Ahh. The familiar tones of dislike and disgust toward me. You truly are Mrs. Reindeer Games.”

 

“Thor, if he does not shut up, I will not restrain myself from using one of my perfumes.”

 

“Perfumes?” Tony raised an eyebrow. The thought of a goddess attacking him with Channel No. 5 amused him greatly.

 

“I remember you knocked Fandral out with one of those poisonous perfumes.” Thor said good-naturedly to try and calm his sister-in-law, whom he was sure, was on the edge. The last time he had witnessed her in such shape was when Loki had kissed her in front of people for his entertainment, causing her to answer him in a truly cruel manner whenever warranted throughout the wedding feast.

 

“Excuse me? Poisonous perfumes?”

 

“And were you there when I used one of my earlier potions on Loki? After he had turned my hair into snakes?” Sigyn asked, mischievous glint in her eye. After one is married to Loki for a decade or two, one naturally gets some characteristics from the Lord of Mischief.

 

Thor laughed good-naturedly, though he was wary due to the familiar glint he was seeing. “No but brother has told me about it. Loki said he ended up coughing fire for a good hour and all you said was ‘The potion is too weak.’”

 

“Coughing fire? Potion? Someone want to fill me in?”

 

“Mama has a set of potions which emit a perfume that do things to people. Daddy helped her make the one that causes the inhaler to become her puppet.” Narvi answered from his seat in between his uncle and mother. “Right mama?”

 

Sigyn hummed in response and set an arm around him. “And one of Thor’s friends, Volstagg, was my guinea pig.” She glanced at Thor as his eyebrows burrowed together. After all, he did not know about it and it was Loki’s idea to make the poor man be their test subject.

 

“Did you..” Thor trailed off as a distant memory was remembered. “You were the reason he did not eat a single thing that one feast.” He accused her, getting only a shrug in response. “Sister, that is not a nice trick.”

 

“It wasn’t my idea for it to be him. It was supposed to be Loki but he naturally refused. He did not like the idea of me being able to control his body for an hours time.”

 

Tony resisted the urge to comment on that borderline sexual innuendo as he raised his hand to get a say in the conversation that he was watching unfold. “I thought she was a scholar and healer?”

 

Sigyn looked at him with a small smile. “Seeing as I do not have the strength to carry a sword, I created my own weapon Mr. Stark. And my perfumes are a product of my studies in seior and healing. One needs a proper understanding of the body and mind so that one may have such perfumes.”

 

“I remember Loki informing us of it back when he was still in Vanaheim-“

 

“I do not wish to talk about what Loki told you while we were in Vanaheim.” Sigyn suddenly said as her own memories of his time in Vanaheim filled her mind. There were many memories for those ten Asgardian years he spent as a guest in the residences of the Royal Family, his room just below her own. Between all the pleasant and displeasing memories, there were memories of a more intimate kind, of him with her in a sacred ritual, of him coaxing truths out of her while his hands roamed the planes of her body.

 

Thor and Tony watched as the female Vanir looked out the window, eyes going into a glaze briefly.

 

“May I dare say thou is remembering a particular type of memory? You know, those of the sensual-“

 

“Please do not go there Man of Iron.”

 

Tony raised both hands in mock surrender.

 

The rest of the ride was instead filled with Narvi questioning Thor about Asgard and getting stories out of him with the occasional side comment from Tony. Nothing else was said from Sigyn.

 

* * *

 

 

There were many things Fury did not expect in his career. One such thing was the existence of beings that were from ‘other realms’ and that Earth was being protected, in one way or another, from beings straight out of mythology. He did not expect to meet one, much less work with one and defeat another. He did not expect an invasion from the allies of the defeated one. He did not expect he would have to try and stop an invasion of Manhattan by forces outside their control.

 

But not in his wildest dreams did he think he would have a goddess of fidelity on board his newly made helicarrier with her child with the god that was responsible for the destruction of his first helicarrier.

 

Lord help him if the spawn would be the reason for this helicarrier to be destroyed.

 

“He’s the one who asked for me?” Sigyn asked as she looked at the one-eyed man in front of her. Oddly, despite the differences of build and race, this Nick Fury reminded her of the All-Father.

 

“We’ve never met but I’ve had words with your husband before.”

 

“Ah. Yes. Well,” Sigyn paused as if thinking over her words before giving a fuck-it-all smile that had Fury thinking of the time Loki was onboard as prisoner. “I am Sigyn, of Vanaheim and Asgard, and I am filled with glorious loyalty.” She leaned on the table, crossing her legs underneath the table. “My husband still says such things, correct?”

 

Thor chuckled, as he stood in front of her in the circular table. “Yes. Loki still does.”

 

“I think his words were ‘glorious purpose’ at that time.” Clint said his eyes followed the every movement of the mini-Loki in their midst, almost as if they expected him to do something that would cause trouble.

 

“And this is..”

 

“Narvi Lokason, Prince of Asgard and Vanaheim.” Thor supplied, shooting a glare at Sigyn’s way before she could speak.

 

“And is it critical that His Highness be here with his nanny?” Fury asked, not liking the thought of more than one extraterrestrial being onboard his ship, much less royal deities.

 

“If you wish for me to help try and solve this puzzle you’ve presented me with, then yes.” Sigyn answered as she grabbed Narvi as he tried to crawl into a seat next to her. She picked him up and placed him on her lap as she tried to tidy up his hair. “Also, Aina is not a nanny but my handmaiden.”

 

“A warship is not the place for a child.” Natasha interjected, voice steady as she leaned forward on the table.

 

“Then it is a good thing Narvi is not a normal child. He has been training in seior for a good while now and shall be progressing to combat soon.” Sigyn replied as she set him down and let him look up at Director Fury. “Say hi to the nice man darling.”

 

Narvi blinked his eyes as he looked up at the dark man currently glaring his only working eye at them. “Hi. Are you the guy who locked my daddy up when he resurrected from the dead and went crazy?”

 

An eyebrow rose on Fury’s face at the question and its accompanying description. “I am.”

 

Narvi nodded. “You won’t lock me up, right?”

 

“As long as you don’t give me a reason.”

 

“Good. Because I have a two grandpas and great-grandpa who are kings and an uncle who’s a king and my grandma is a goddess and they may get mad if you do that to innocent little me.”

 

“Innocent little you?” Natasha repeated while staring at the kid.

 

“His Loki tendencies have started appearing.” Sigyn said, as if it was an explanation. And considering who Loki was, it was the best explanation one could give without committing word vomit.

 

“Pity on you sister.” Thor said in a grave voice. “I remember my brother once converted the throne room into a jungle when his seior started becoming apparent.”

 

“We shall endeavor to make sure Junior here doesn’t turn you into a gorilla or something horrendously embarrassing Fury.” Tony paused. “On second thought, can you do that kid?”

Narvi glanced at Tony before turning to look at Fury, scanning the man from head to toe. Then he turned back to Tony with a wide smile. “I can make him look like Barney.”

 

“Please don’t encourage him.” Sigyn interjected as the thought of her son turning someone into Barney settled in her mind. “It’s bad enough he turned objects into rainbow colored lizards every time he hiccupped when he was a baby. I don’t want to deal with trying to turn a normal person back into himself after being made into a purple dinosaur.”

 

“Good thing that the old director here isn’t normal.”

 

“Anyway, back to the reason I was brought here. Is there anything else you’ve been able to uncover or was this something you guys could not do without me?” Sigyn asked as she turned back to the copy of the prophecy given. “All that was really concrete in the prophecy was a) there will be another form of attack to presumably take over the world; b) there will be eight saviors, those that are gathered here plus my husband though how you will get him to cooperate, I do not know; and c) the keys to salvation are located somewhere in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Which will be a problem considering that the Great Pyramids is the only one left intact.”

 

“I believe that’s where you come in as our resident scholar. Thor mentioned you’re here to study Earth?” Bruce asked as he glanced down at the female.

 

“Yes and I’ve been sending in my findings every year.”

 

“Findings? Is Asgard doing surveillance on us?” Fury asked, tone conveying his slight anger at the thought that they had been spied on.

 

“Oh calm down sir. We are your protectors. Well, the Aesir are and I am of Vanaheim; but I digress. By findings, I meant books on the human body, the Earth and it’s ecosystem, the writings of Euclid and other important people. I’ve also sent copies of important works to the evolution of your literature. From Shakespeare to Edgar Allen Poe to contemporary writers such as Sidney Sheldon and J.K. Rowling, they now have a place in the Great Library of Asgard. There are also many books on the history of your people. All that’s left is to send in the different philosophical thoughts.” Sigyn explained as much as she can. “It’s not spying or conducting surveillance, it’s renewing the rather old books we do have on Midgard so that there is a better understanding of your race.”

 

“Well, Loki sure didn’t adhere to this mission of yours.” Steve interjected. “He tried to take over our world ma’am, tried to bully the humans into subjugation.”

 

“Which he would have never done if his mind and heart was in the right place.” Sigyn answered dryly. “And I have not actually spoken to my husband since his attempt so I do not know what to think of it. He writes but I have not yet written to him. That day started with me believing he was dead, fallen into a rift in the time and space of Yggdrasil then receiving news from my mother that my husband was not only alive but was responsible for the attack in Manhattan.”

 

“Calm down Tinkerbell.”

 

“Thor, can I not kill this man?”

 

“Reindeer Games already tried. And failed may I add.”

 

“Rest assured Princess, once this is done and over, you have first dibs to hit him all you like.” Fury said. “However, Agent Romanoff raises a fine point. What will your son be doing on board?”

 

Before Sigyn could think of an answer, Thor answered for her. “You said he would start combat training soon. Let me start his training, sister, in the traditional Asgardian way of fighting.”

 

“But he’s not exactly Asgardian, Thor.” Sigyn reminded him, causing Thor to frown as he thought of how similar his brother and his wife were to continue denying Asgard. “And he may be like my husband and I. We don’t excel at the types of fighting celebrated in Asgard. I have my poisonous perfumes and Loki has his throwing daggers combined with his illusions.”

 

“Then we can teach him different styles.” Natasha chimed in as she stared at Narvi who simply stared back in curiosity at her flaming hair. “Clint can see if he had any skill at archery and I can make him do some fundamental close combat. We don’t want a kid to carry us down.”

 

“If the matter is all settled, let’s move on shall we.” Fury said, deliberately putting an end to the topic, happy enough that two of his agents would be keeping an eye on the junior version of their previous adversary. “While we were looking for your whereabouts, Dr. Banner started his research on writings that have mentioned the Seven Ancient Wonders.”

 

“It’s not much, but it’s a start. I got as many references as I could from ancient times and they were printing out when we went to fetch you.” Bruce said, getting a simple nod from Sigyn in response.

 

“If we do not find what we are looking for, you can always go to Asgard, sister. Our collection of Midgard is very ancient, is it not? And you have also said that you were running low on your healing materials, you could replenish them. Brother would also like to see you-“

 

“I doubt he’d like to see me.”

 

“-and mother would be very happy to meet Narvi.” Thor finished, ignoring Sigyn’s comment.

 

Sigyn glared at him as she got up from her seat. “If I do not find anything truly useful in a day or two’s time, then we shall go to Asgard for a day.” She replied. “A day and nothing more. We may miss a week of precious time here on Earth.”

 

“And you shall take Narvi with us?”

 

Sigyn looked down to her son who was looking at her with those puppy eyes she _knew_ he got from Loki. With a sigh, she nodded. “But only if you stay with him the whole time.”

 

“I shall.”

 

Sigyn sighed. “Why don’t you stay with your uncle Thor while I go with the doctor, ok Narvi?”

 

“Sure mama. Can uncle Thor tell me more stories?”

 

“I shall be glad to little one.”

 

Sigyn met Thor’s eyes once more before nodding at Fury. She turned towards Bruce. “Lead the way Dr. Banner.”

 

And to her eternal frustration, Tony Stark also followed. “So, can I get a sample of those poisonous perfumes you have?”

 

“I will have to endure you, won’t I?”

 

“One of the three scholars Princess,” was Tony’s only reply as he pointed at himself, causing Sigyn to roll her eyes at the frustrating man. “We are, it seems, are the new Three Musketeers. With better fashion sense."

 

She could see now why Loki tried to kill him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Loki this time, but he does make a return in the next chapter! In fact, the next chapter is going to be all about Loki.


	4. Interlude (I) - Meetings and Letters

_Twenty-Five Years Before, Vanaheim_

“My dear, please try to look interested.”

 

“Hard to look interested if I’m not, mother.”

 

At that, Freyja clucked at her eldest, pinching her arm lightly. Satisfied that Sigyn had gotten her point, the goddess continued straightening the dress of her younger daughters before standing in front of her eldest. “Sigyn, you two will be under the same tutor. Please humor your mother and put a smile on your face.” She paused and frowned when Sigyn put an overly fake smile on. “At the very least, the diplomatic smile, my daughter.”

 

Sigyn sighed and fixed her posture and, her hands clasped together in front of her as if she were the very being of virtue and modesty, she put a small smile on her face, one she usually used when she was sitting in on a council meeting and was mentally arguing with a minister. “Does this satisfy you mother?” She asked with a small tilt of the head.

 

“Good enough. The hell you put your poor mother through.” Freyja sighed as she straightened an invisible wrinkle on Sigyn’s light violet dress.

 

“I hardly believe one could use ‘poor’ to describe you mother.” Sigyn replied, causing her mother to give her a withering stare.

 

“You spend too much time with your grandfather and uncle.”

 

“All the better to counter balance everything you’ve taught me mother. What was it Uncle Frey said..” Sigyn cleared her throat and attempted to copy said uncle’s voice. “You need some wit in you to counter those scandalous things your mother tells you about.” She snorted not-to-gracefully as she dropped her uncle’s tone of voice and added teasingly, “Scandalous meaning all those feminine talks you give me.”

 

She smiled, a true smile, when Freyja pinched her arm once more as the younger Freyjadottir’s started giggling. “They liked it mother.” Sigyn protested in her normal voice.

 

“Because they are impressed by everything. Silly girl.” Freyja reached over to tuck a stray hair from Sigyn before backing away, glancing at her second daughter. “Please watch over your older sister. By all rights, it should be the other way around, but you are the voice of reason.”

 

Nanna nodded at her mother, the serene smile already on her face.

 

While Nanna was only two years younger than Sigyn, they were different as night and day. While Sigyn was being groomed for succession, being tutored in politics and diplomacy, Nanna had shown no interest when she was given the same opportunity. Instead, the second Freyjadottir had settled comfortably into music and the arts, a field Freyja had encouraged her to pursue to counterbalance her elder daughter. There was only one real aspect they agreed on and even then, the other’s weakness was the other’s strength.

 

 “The Prince of Asgard has arrived on palace grounds Your Highnesses.” A guard announced, bowing at those in the throne room.

 

The scene that Loki had come to was one of formality, as expected. After showing propensity at magic, his mother had suggested that he study with the royal family of Vanaheim. It was a sound suggestion, Loki admitted. While the Aesir were of strength and war, the Vanir were of wisdom and seior; everything he was excelling at. Having exhausted all books on seior in the Grand Library of Asgard and mastering what seior Frigga could teach him, Frigga suggested he go back to her own homeland and learn from either her brother who was a minor king, or another master of seior. As a matter of diplomacy, she had sent a missive to the Royal Family first and had received an affirmative answer, inviting him to learn with the Crown Princess.

 

And that all led to Loki being led by Asgard’s ambassador to Vanaheim into the throne room.

 

The occupants were all members of the Royal House of Vanaheim currently living within the palace. At the very front was the High King Njord. To his side was his daughter, the goddess Freyja, the very picture of the goddess of love and seior that she was despite being the leader of the Valkyries. And next to her were five females of varying ages whom he assumed to be the daughters of Freyja. The one at the very front of the line, he noticed had a coronet of pearls on, and he assumed this daughter to be the eldest, the Crown Princess and the one he would be learning with according to his mother.

 

It was rumored the daughters were all half-dwarves, so he guessed they all had the good fortune of taking after their mother.

 

After another brief glance around the room, taking in the understated elegance with a touch of opulence of stone columns and stained glass windows leading to the raised dais with a backdrop of clear glass, showing the sea only accessible by the palace, he noted that it was the opposite of the imposing throne room of gold in Asgard. But then, from what he had seen so far of the city surrounding the palace, everything was to be of understated elegance.

 

It was something he suspected he would find a welcome change from the grandeur of his home.

 

“Your Highnesses. It is an honor to be invited to study within your palace.” He greeted formally with a practiced speech and a bow as he came to a stop at the front, just before the dais.

 

“We’ll have none of that.” King Njord’s rugged voice came, causing Loki to look up. While the king had been a guest to Asgard many times before, he sounded different, his voice not the usual smooth, and baritone voice he had come to identify the Vanir High King with. As if noticing the questioning look in his eyes, the sea god smiled. “Excuse my voice. Having grand daughters who like to torment me is a hard life.” He explained, laughter in his voice and his eyes as he gave a side-glance to the females at his side, the younger ones giggling behind their hands.

 

“They wouldn’t torment you as much if you didn’t allow them to, father.” Freyja interjected in a dry voice before turning to Loki. “Master Kvasir is excited at the prospect of a new pupil. My eldest daughter is his only pupil and is mastering another art so he extends his welcomes. I hear you wish to learn the art of shape shifting?”

 

“Among other things,” was Loki’s brief reply before he took Freyja’s extended hand to give it a chaste kiss. “My mother sends her thanks once again.”

 

Freyja nodded before gesturing to her daughters. “My daughters. Most are scattered along the palace so you may not see them much but at dinner. It’s my eldest who you’ll be learning seior with.”

 

She gave Sigyn a look and Sigyn automatically stepped forward, diplomatic smile on as she gave a small, rather minuscule curtsey. “Prince Loki.” She greeted as he took her hand as well and repeated the ritual of kissing her hand.

 

“Crown Princess.” He greeted as he stepped back. “It’ll be an honor to learn with a future monarch.”

 

In response, Sigyn just gave a small nod before her grandfather got up from his throne, announcing that the Crown Princess would show him to his rooms and give him a small tour. “You two will have to get along well after all. You can bet that Kvasir will have you two debating politics and working together for his little projects.”

 

“Mother, are you..?” Sigyn questioned her mother under her breath as Loki gave a message from Odin to the High King. She was familiar with what her mother was doing, knew that her mother would push every eligible noble and royal there was. It had begun just a year or two ago and Sigyn knew Freyja wouldn’t stop until she was satisfied.

 

“Not at all. He’s in line for another throne. Go and be a Crown Princess my dear.” Freyja replied, gesturing for her to go do as her grandfather gestured for Sigyn.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m excited to see what seior you know. Queen Frigga comes from a long line of users who excel at illusion-based seior; has she passed that on to you?” Sigyn asked, attempting some idle chat with the royal guest as she led the foreign prince away from the throne room and into the maze of halls that led to the private living quarters.

 

Loki nodded as he took note of the hallways they passed. The knowledge would come in handy for his stay here and for other uses. “Yes. She’s taught me all I know and since I show no promise in healing beyond the basic spells, she has sent me here to learn more.”

 

“Hmmm,” was the reply from Sigyn as she led him outside of the building and into an array of other buildings and she pointed one out. “That is the Grand Library. It has a different entrance for the people in the city. Across from it is our Museum of Vanaheim that houses artifacts from all around the kingdom, portraits of royals before us, and great heroes. There is also a section on The War and of course, the civil war. And the private quarters for the royal family and their guests are a short ride away.” She gestured to some horses that were in the courtyard.

 

“Not of walk-able distance Princess Sigyn?” Loki questioned as he, out of gentlemanly courtesy ingrained in him by his mother, helped the younger royal up her horse.

 

“I usually do walk the distance but it’s about to rain and it won’t do to get ourselves wet Prince Loki.” She answered, gripping the reins of her horse as he too got on the other horse.

 

True to her word, it was a short ride, hardly more than five minutes, which she spent pointing out several buildings, including an open-roofed, singular floor outpost converted into a practice area for combat seior and a place to create potions. All these Loki filed into the recesses of his mind, taking note of stations of guards and the general movement around them.

 

As they arrived at a series of interconnecting two-storied buildings – almost small-scaled versions of the palace of old if his memory served him right, Sigyn got off her horse and handed the reins to a handler waiting. Loki did the same and stood next to her as she waited for him on the bottom of several steps.

 

“These are the royal residences. This is the main building where the family has private dinners. The kitchens are also located here and my grand father’s study, my uncle’s residence when he stays here with his family. The smaller healing room for the use of the royal family is also here.” She explained as they went inside and moved to the back, where there was a pond and a garden with several of those palace-like buildings surrounding. 

 

“I take it those two buildings connecting with the main building at the front are guard posts?” Loki questioned as his eyes scanned his surroundings, noting that there were no guards around this area and that there were only several servants bustling about. It was different, he thought, to have the private residences so out in the open, so vulnerable to attack, but so free at the same time, as if creating an illusion for the occupants that they truly were free to do as they wish.

 

“Yes. We don’t have any within the residences.” Sigyn answered before pointing out several of the small buildings, giving each the name of the person who stays there. “Each has a kitchenette for the basic necessities, a receiving area and small dining area at the first floor. The second floor is the bedchambers and bathing chambers.” Then she turned a bit to the left and gestured to building that was larger than the others. “Our guest house. It’s design; you may be more familiar with. Each guest has a suite of rooms for their use. My mother wishes for you to have free use of it.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

At that, Sigyn backed away and gave a small curtsey. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

 

Loki nodded and watched her leave before turning on his heel, heading for the direction he was pointed to. Or at least he began to when he heard her call his name. “Yes?” He asked, turning back to see her grasping her dress.

 

“I forgot to say. Master Kvasir really hates tardiness. We can meet here again after the noon meal so I can show you where we shall be studying.”

 

“That would be fine Princess.”

 

He watched Sigyn give a small curtsey again and the movement of her gown as she abruptly turned and continued to where her own chambers were.

 

A weird one, the Crown Princess of Vanaheim, he concluded to himself before making a mental list of things to do once he reached his private chambers.

 

And at the very top was to recreate a map of the palace.

 

 

* * *

 

****

_Mother,_

_It will please you to know I have arrived safely and that the High King and his family have accepted me with open arms. The High King, the goddess Freyja and her daughters greeted me at the Throne Room. King Frey is more often than not in his own realm with his family. The Crown Princess Sigyn was entrusted to show me around and she shall be my fellow pupil of Master Kvasir in the arts of politics and diplomacy. It seems her seior has branched out to another art that Master Kvasir is not a master of._

_At dinner, I was told that my mornings would be reserved for my classes in politics and afternoons were for seior. The night is my own to do as I wish and I shall carry out what I was sent to do. Enclosed within is a drawn map of the new palace with notes based on the prattles of the Crown Princess as she showed me around. I have various copies for my own keeping and I shall send one with new data when I have the time to explore the premises on my own._

_I have also been informed that your brother shall meet me in his kingdom. It seems that the Crown Princess will be making her annual tour and visit each minor king and their holdings and I have been invited to come along so that I may experience Vanaheim outside the palace walls. I shall keep my eyes and ears open and tell you of what I see and hear._

_As you have told me, the Vanir truly are different than the Aesir. I fear I must take after you mother for I find myself enjoying the difference in culture and their high regard for intelligence and seior. Maybe brother can visit. I would enjoy seeing him with the Vanir._

_That is all I have to write as of now mother. I have only been here for a handful of hours and if the Crown Princess continues to be forward with answering my queries, I shall have more to tell you soon._

_Please send my regards to father and please tell Thor to not attempt to go inside my chambers. It has been fortified and he will be cursed with hives for an hour if he attempts to go inside._

_Loki_

 

* * *

 

 

_Loki,_

_It pleases me to know that you are settling in. While this is a mission, do feel free to enjoy yourself and experience what my homeland has to offer. If you succeed, it will be near impossible for you to visit again._

_From the partial map you have sent me, it seems that the palace is of a different stature now. If King Njord still keeps the same attitude, then the libraries will be beneficial. If there is a building near that the Crown Princess did not show you, then that may be the military headquarters. I know they like to keep these buildings together._

_While on the trip with the Crown Princess, please do not offend her in any way or look closer than acquaintances. I do remember that the Vanir think very highly of the Crown Princess and any offense to her honor by you, intended or not, may find you as her husband. While I will not have any trouble with that, for I do remember that the Crown Princess was a beautiful child with wonderful manners and the most pretty eyes when she visited Asgard many decades ago, I know you will not want to have a wife so soon, and one as young as her. So do take care._

_As always, your letters are welcome to me. Please take care son to not cause another war. Your father wishes you well and I am afraid it is too late for Thor. When I have went to visit him to warn him, he already had hives on his face and the Lady Sif was laughing merrily at his expense. Whatever you are hiding within, I assure you it is safe and unharmed in any way._

_Your mother_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the start of the second story line! Basically, 'Interludes' will be breaks in the main story and will cover the time Loki and Sigyn were in Vanaheim and how Sigyn came to be on Midgard. Next chapter, we're back to the main story and the antagonist will be revealed soon!


	5. Chapter Four

** Chapter Four **

 

“Let’s start with the basics.” Sigyn started as she pulled a large glass-writing board near her and picked up the marker. “What do we know?”

 

“Seven Deadly Wonders of the Ancient World is most probably the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. And that starting from yesterday when the prophecy was revealed, exactly a year from Loki’s attack, we have seven days to find a part of the Benben which is spread throughout the Wonders.” Bruce summarized, all being written by Sigyn.

 

“And that’s basically it. Maybe we should start with whatever this ‘Benben’ is.” Tony suggested as Sigyn moved to the desk in the middle that held several pieces of paper; the printouts of everything JARVIS had found in relation to the Benben.

 

“It’s the Capstone. I remember reading about it when I was compiling research for the Ancient Egyptian part of Africa’s history.” Sigyn explained as she bit the cap of the marker. “What we really need to do is find out where the hell the Colossus of Rhodes is.”

 

“Of course. _And the first Wonder shall have the look of the sun god_ ,” Bruce quoted as he pulled his glasses on. “It’s a statue of the sun god, Helios. That’s about all I know on the topic. I master in gamma radiation, not history.”

 

“Wasn’t it burned down or something like that?” Tony stated as he pulled on a screen, obviously preferring for JARVIS to do his part of the work. “And anyway, we have Mrs. Reindeer Games for all our history needs. You’re probably as old as the Seven Ancient Wonders, right?”

 

“Actually, I’m not. Not even my husband was born when the statue was in existence. I’m actually considered a child bride for the Aesir and Vanir.” Sigyn explained. When she noticed the raised eyebrows from Tony, she explained further. “My husband is over a thousand years old while I am 540 years old-“

 

“Wow. You go Reindeer Games.”

 

“-and when we married, I was barely of age. So yes, I am considered a child bride especially when one factors in that we had a relationship even before we got married almost three Asgardian decades ago, which in turn is a couple of centuries ago.”

 

“Relationship….wasn’t it an arranged marriage?”

 

“Our relationship is whatever we wish to make it seem like.”

 

Tony contemplated that for a moment then decided to think about it some other time as another thought came to mind. “And all the stories from Norse mythology about you marrying Loki?”

 

“Mere coincidence. We used to laugh about it all the time.” Sigyn answered, waving it away, knowing the people of Scandinavia had needed someone to be Loki’s wife and what better than a person named ‘Victorious Lady.’ “And anyway, in the ancient mythology, Loki is not Thor’s brother and there were other sons of Odin.”

 

“So, the Colossus of Rhodes and this Benben? What can you tell us?” Bruce asked, knowing Tony would continue asking the goddess more questions regarding mythology if he didn’t bring them back to topic.

 

“Which one first?” Sigyn asked, turning to the doctor.

 

“What about this Benben since it’s the goal of the prophecy.” Tony paused as a distinct explosion could be heard. ”Should we be concerned?” He asked out loud just as an announcement was made on the speaker.

 

“Do not be alarmed. Explosion is a result of training in the training room. Please continue your work. Thank you.”

 

“Now that that mystery is solved,” Sigyn muttered under her breath as she went back to the glass-board. “The Benben is commonly known as the Capstone. It’s a mini-pyramid made out of gold with a diamond center and stood at the peak of the Great Pyramid of Giza. At some point of time, it simply disappeared. There are theories that aliens took it, or something crazy like that. No one knows what actually happened with the Capstone. If the prophecy is to be believed, it can be surmised that some force took the Capstone, broke it into seven pieces, and scattered them among the Seven Ancient Wonders. By who, we can only guess. But legend has it that Alexander the Great was the last to hold the Capstone as it was. After seeing the power it held, he had it split into seven pieces. The first five pieces were hidden in the Wonders that were built then. He entrusted the last two pieces to Ptolemy I and he in turn hid it in the last two Wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Colossus of Rhodes. Or at least that’s how the theory goes.”

 

Sigyn stepped away and typed an entry into a screen near her, bringing about an image of all the Seven Wonders before zooming into the Colossus and turning the screen to the two men. “Made in the image of Helios, the Colossus stood at the port of the island nation of Rhodes in celebration of their defeat of the Antigonids. It’s often called the greatest statue of history; it’s made completely of bronze. While it was created to celebrate their victory, it was actually the first two Ptolemy’s of Egypt who paid for the construction which was completed in 282 B.C. Fifty-six years later, the statue was damaged via an earthquake. While Ptolemy III offered to pay to have it restored, the Rhodians refused and in,” Sigyn paused to look at a different screen that contained the basics of each Wonder. “In 654 BC, the Arabs invaded, broke the statue in pieces and scattered them.”

 

“So we’re on a wild goose chase? Is that what you’re saying Mrs. RG?”

 

“RG? Really Mr. Stark?”

 

“Reindeer Games is too long.”

 

Pausing to roll her eyes, Sigyn shook her head. “A week after the Rhodian’s refused to have the statue restored, the sixteen foot head of the statue disappeared at the same time as an Egyptian barge left the harbor. It was very apparent that the Egyptians cared more for the statue than Rhodes.”

 

“So, any clue on where to start in looking for this gigantic head?”

 

Sigyn sat down and rested her chin on her palm as she glanced at several pages laid out in front of her. “We can start from the first material that named the Seven Ancient Wonders in the first place. The term was first coined in 250 BC in ‘A Collection of Wonders around the World’ by Callimachus of Cyrene who was the Chief Librarian at the Great Library of Alexandria, which was lost in the fire that destroyed said library.” Sigyn paused and sighed. “I’m going to have to make a trip to Asgard I guess.”

 

“Let me guess, you have a copy?”

 

Sigyn nodded. “My husband is an avid reader of written materials and well-acquainted with many works of antiquity… I remember him showing me a copy when we moved into our estate and…” She shook her head, as if trying to shake the thought away. “We were supposed to go visit several of the sites after I had finished some duties I needed to perform in Vanaheim. He supposedly knew where a Wonder or two was hidden and said we could make the trip to see them in person.”

 

“So you know where two of them are? Fantastic! Who knew Reindeer Games would be of actual help-“

 

“We never made the trip because I became pregnant with my first child.” Sigyn interrupted Tony from his mini-celebration.

 

“First child? So there are more mini-Rock of Ages scattered around Asgard?” Tony said, horrified at the thought.

 

Sigyn laughed at his expression. “No. The baby didn’t make it to her fifth name day.” She turned sober then and moved a stack toward her. “Let’s try and make some headway of all these things you’ve printed? I’ll tell Thor we need to go to Asgard and I’ll try and go as soon as we can, maybe tonight to avoid wasting even more time. A day in Asgard is probably three days here, or maybe five.”

 

“So if you do take a day there, then we’ll have to get a move on as soon as Point Break and you return. Not to mention we still have to find the place.”

 

“Then let’s hope it’s one of the places my husband knows of.”

 

“Even if he does, it’ll help if we have a way of finding out the location as soon as you find it out.” Bruce said, earning a nod from Sigyn.

 

“I can always try to bring my cellphone. There’s a good chance that I can have a signal all the way in Asgard. If I do-“

 

“I can attach a battery on your cellphone so that it’ll run for a couple of days. Hand me your phone.” Tony said, his hand out. “If it’s a model I’m familiar with, I can attach something so that your signal will be better.” When Sigyn handed her phone to him, he held it up and nodded. “Excellent! We have the same phone.”

 

“Once you do find anything out..”

 

“I’ll call at once.”

 

* * *

 

It took them two hours with the helicarrier going to rest in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. While Thor had wanted to go as soon as he was told, Sigyn had managed to talk him into waiting an hour or two for her to get her only Vanir gown, the same gown she had worn when she arrived on Earth, only magicked up so that it would fit her form better. Or what could pass off as better. And thus, two hours later, she held Narvi’s hand as she carried a large, rolled up map of the Earth and another series of maps that had the seven continents as a focus just in case she could get some leeway from Loki.

 

“Maybe while there, you take some of your gowns from your chambers with Loki in the palace.” Thor suggested as he took the cylinder case from Sigyn and she brushed invisible wrinkles on her gown away. “Especially if we will have to go back. For that gown..”

 

“It was worn when I had just given birth, Thor. Of course it is not form flattering.” Sigyn replied, tightening the sash wrapped around her waist in an attempt to make it better fitting.

 

“Well, at the very least change before seeing your hubby. You never know what’ll happen.” Tony added in, wiggling his eyebrows.

 

“Would you like to try what happens when I use a perfume Mr. Stark?” Sigyn asked in an overly sweet smile and voice as she took a vial from within her sash and made a move to uncork it. “I believe this one causes the inhaler’s internal organs to burn. Or maybe this is the poisonous perfume that makes a person my puppet for an hour. Shall we find out Mr. Stark?”

 

“And we were getting along earlier. I put this on nerves on seeing the Mister after so long.” Tony said with an equally overly fake sad face as he handed her cellphone. “It should receive a signal all the way up there. Battery is solar powered so there should be no trouble in that.”

 

“Call us at once so that we may position ourselves. Until then, we’ll be making our way to Rhodes.” Fury said as he watched the exchange and nodded to Natasha and Steve to take their places. As a matter of making sure nothing unwanted happened, he had fought for a good hour for two agents to join them. After much discussion, the two royals who argued that Odin had degreed that Midgardians not be allowed in Asgard over ruled him.

 

“We shall. I do believe that there is a possibility of the Colossus to be in Africa, somewhere within the borders of Egypt during that time. Based on the Egyptians stealing it away.” Sigyn answered as she turned away from the director as Thor moved to carry Narvi.

 

“I do not want to know my brother’s wrath if the little one somehow gets hurts while travelling,” was Thor’s simple response to her inquiring gaze and he gave her another small smile. Sigyn sighed and let go of her grip on Narvi, knowing that if there was one person who would never, never do harm to a child, it was Thor.

 

Frankly, it was a wonder that Loki had gotten married before the Crown Prince.

 

“But at the same time, sister, I do not want to be in your place when mother learns you hid her grandson.” Thor continued.

 

“I do believe I can explain to my Queen Mother why I hid Narvi for so long.” In answer, she got a sigh from Thor before he called for Heimdall to open the Bifrost and take them to Asgard.

 

The last time she had travelled via Bifrost was when she had gone to court a month after giving birth to Narvi, a month in which she and Loki had hatched their plan to get Narvi to safety. She had gone to court and asked the All-Father for permission to conduct research in Midgard. It taken some time and some begging on her part, but the All-Father ultimately gave permission. After a fake fight with Loki to ensure his reasons for staying behind were believable, she had gone to Midgard, landed in New Mexico and days later, Loki had secreted Narvi away from the royal nursery in Vanaheim.

 

And now, not only was she going back to Asgard to tell her in-laws that she had lied about why she truly went to Midgard, but also to see her husband after so long.

 

That he was in the dungeons was another complication in their little plan, especially since her grandfather had all the plans to abdicate as once as she returned, with Loki as her King Consort. His crimes would make it hard for even the freethinking people of Vanaheim to accept him again.

 

In a bright flash, the pillar of light engulfed them and while she had travelled via Bifrost many times, she felt her insides do cartwheels when the light faded away and solid ground was once again felt under her feet. Though she knew that Heimdall, the stalwart guardian of the Bifrost, was most probably watching, she walked the short distance and took Narvi from Thor’s arms and set him on the ground, leaning forward to whisper in his ear “Welcome to Asgard Narvi.”

 

“Prince Thor, Crown Princess Sigyn, Welcome back to Asgard.” Heimdall greeted them in his steely voice as he looked down at them from the center of the room. “And you have brought friends with you.” He was distinctly staring at Narvi.

 

“Yes. Heimdall, it is my pleasure to introduce you my nephew, Prince Narvi of Asgard and Vanaheim, a welcome surprise I hope.” Thor added with slight hint at his voice.

 

“I was not aware the Crown Princess and the prince would be travelling with you. I have only had tw horses sent.”

 

“It’s no problem. My son can ride with me. Let’s go, shall we?” Sigyn said as she gestured to the horses waiting for them.

 

“Of course. Mother would be eager to meet him.” Thor said before going to the horses waiting for them.

 

“Heimdall, it was very nice to see you once more.” Sigyn said, turning back to Heimdall who was still observing Narvi as her son looked at the view of Asgard from afar.

 

“And you as well, Crown Princess. I was wondering why I had not seen you in all those years and now I know why.” Heimdall replied, giving a small nod towards the princess from the land of his birth and ancestors.

 

“No worries, I will not block myself or my son from your view again.” At that, Sigyn gave a small curtsy to the other Vanir and went towards her horse.

 

* * *

 

In the many versions of her return to Asgard that she had imagined, none came close to this. She imagined that Loki would pave the way to her return, and that Thor would be the new King of Asgard and with him on the throne, it would be easier to ask for forgiveness for not telling the truth. But then, who would have guessed that her blundering idiot of a husband would go and not only let Frost Giants in (he had been very honest in admitting that particular detail to her in his first letter to her since his ‘death’) but also try to take over Midgard and end up in a dungeon leaving her to explain everything.

 

It was days like these where she wondered just why she had married him in the first place.

 

“Mama, is that where you and daddy lived before I was born?” Narvi asked out loud as he pointed to a large gate in front of another manor just off the coast. Sigyn glanced and was surprised when she saw that despite Loki being in prison and her not in residence, there were still guards posted at the front and that her royal sigil and Loki’s coat-of-arms was easily seen from the gates.

 

Of course, Loki was still a Prince and he was still married to her.

 

“Yes my dear.” Sigyn answered absentmindedly as several guards patrolling the streets bowed in front of Thor.

 

“Don’t forget The Crown Princess of Vanaheim.” Thor said, gesturing to Sigyn before the guards could continue their patrol. They were new, he knew they would not know or remember a foreign princess who often kept to herself while in Asgard.

 

“Crown Princess, we did not know you were back.” One of them said as they also gave her a bow. “We welcome you back Crown Princess, as I am sure the rest of Asgard is.” He finished, careful to keep any negative feelings on her husband out.

 

“Thank you.” Sigyn nodded and before Thor could maneuver the guards to bowing at Narvi as well, she made her horse go into a gallop.

 

If there was one thing she learned early on, she was nothing like her husband who would rather plan for anything, she would rather take any situation head on and try to work her way out of it then. It frustrated him to no end, but it always worked for her.

 

And with meeting her mother-in-law again was one she’d rather get over with as quick as possible.

 

* * *

 

As expected, they were swiftly led to the throne room and as they were announced (“Prince Thor, The Crown Princess Sigyn of Vanaheim and… a Prince Lokason!”), Sigyn tightened her grasp on Narvi’s hand.

 

“Mama?” Narvi asked, glancing away from the two older figures at the front that were staring at him with strained smiles, and looking up at his mother. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yes my dear. Remember to bow when your uncle does.” Sigyn whispered back as she heard whispers from the councilmen who were at court when they arrived.

 

“Father, Mother! You know I was called by the Avengers for they needed my help and I had a pleasant surprise in seeing my sister after so long.” Thor started as he bowed in front of the steps. “And she has also brought her son with her..” Thor faded off, not sure on how to proceed.

  

Seeing his uncle bow, Narvi bowed the same way, from his waist, just as his mother sank into a deep curtsy.   

 

Seeing this, Sigyn glanced up at the All-Father and his Queen. “All-Father, All-Mother, I am truly sorry that it has been so long since I have last been here.” She gestured to Narvi to come closer to her and, though her legs were starting to strain from the years of not sinking this low in a curtsy, she kept to the floor and wrapped an arm around Narvi. “Due to circumstances, I am also sorry for not introducing you earlier to my son, Narvi Lokason.”

 

“Narvi… Lokason.” Odin repeated as his one eye looked at the boy in front of him who was busy trying not to look elsewhere. It occurred to the All-Father that the boy, and finally Loki had produced a child that was not a wretched creature or had some form of deformation, looked exactly like Loki did when he was that age. He didn’t have to guess that his wife was already waiting until the formalities were done to sweep her grandson away.

 

“Daughter, please stand up and let the boy approach. I would like to see my grandson.” He said as he gestured for him to come closer.

 

Sigyn rose and, after a brief glance at Thor, as if waiting for him to acknowledge his promise of not letting any harm come to Narvi, she crouched down as a hand unconsciously smoothed away any wrinkles on Narvi’s clothes. “Why don’t you go and say hello to your grandfather and grandmother my dear?”

 

Narvi nodded and he gave a hesitant smile on his face as he worked his way up the gold throne. “Greetings All-Father and All-Mother.” He said as he was thought and added, rather quickly, “Or can I call you grandma and grandpa?” He looked up at them, trying his best to imitate the look his father had taught him to use to get out of trouble with his mother: the soft, wavering eyes, scrunched up forehead and slight pout.

 

“But of course my dear.” Frigga gushed as she bent down to run a hand through her grandchild’s hair. When Narvi replied with a smile that reminded her of her youngest, she smiled in return.

 

Odin gave the boy the smallest smile he could before turning to the court. “I recognize and welcome Narvi Lokason, Prince of Asgard.” He announced before banging his staff twice, his magic leaving small residue within the throne room.

 

“What happened?” Narvi asked as he felt the magic on him and saw the faint glow of Odin’s magic.

 

“You were just recognized as a Prince of Asgard and my magic will ensure that everyone knows of it.” Odin turned from his grandson as Frigga told the boy to go back to his mother. “Your grandfather will also want to make a similar proclamation in Vanaheim.”

 

“We shall go there once my business in Midgard is finished.” Sigyn replied as she drew Narvi close.

 

“Yes. This business you mention. I hear that you are to work with the warriors of Midgard?” Odin listened as his daughter-in-law gave a brief outline of what the mission was and why she had come to Asgard. “The Grand Librarian will be informed. You will have the books by your leave at sundown.”

 

That would be another 20 hours, thought Sigyn as she curtseyed and said thanks.

 

“Will you visit Loki?” Odin asked, his attention turning back to Sigyn.

 

“Yes. He may be of help to me.” Sigyn answered and she instantly heard the whispers start among the court once more. Ah, home sweet home where the Second Prince of Asgard and the Crown Princess of Vanaheim were the perfect past time for the old geezers at court.

 

“Yes. He has been pining for you for the last couple of years.” Frigga inserted warmly. “But first, let’s have you change to something more comfortable. We have left Loki’s chambers alone so everything is still there. And while you catch up with him, maybe I can take Narvi with me and show him the gardens.” She looked down at her newly found grandson. “Would you like that? After your mother is done, you can go visit your father as well.”

 

“Can I mama?”

 

“As long as you stay with your uncle Thor.”

 

Frigga’s eyes met Sigyn’s. “And we will talk later my daughter?”

 

“Of course my Queen Mother.”

 

Damn, she had hoped she had wormed her way out of ‘the talk.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In retrospect, it's going to be confusing, all these chapter names mixed in with Interludes and Intersects. 
> 
> Also, sorry for the brief history lesson. I'm more of a plot-driven writer by nature, but the second story line (aka the Interludes) will be my attempt at a character driven story. 
> 
> A quick note: I've decided to trash everything from TDW except for Loki's cell. Meaning I've trashed what little they showed of Vanaheim and decided to make it from the ground up. SO I've changed two sentences in the previous chapter (Interlude I) to reflect this decision. Basically, I erased the words 'hut-like' for at that time, I was going for the Royal Palace of Vanaheim to look like one of the palaces in Korea. 
> 
> Since I work when I've got visuals for anything and everything, I decided to post them on tumblr so that you guys can access it as well. Aside from the chapters also being uploaded, there will also be pictures of what envision Vanaheim and it's principalities to look like, the rooms mentioned (such as Sigyn's chambers in Vanaheim, etc.) and gowns as well as what I envision Sigyn to look like. 
> 
> (The tumblr is: http://a-metaphysical-gravity.tumblr.com/ and currently being fixed [theme might be changed, pictures to be uploaded])


	6. Intersect (I)

** Intersect (I) **

****

She was slow to wake up, he took note as he watched his captive arouse from her sleep.

 

But then, she was merely a mortal.

 

No matter, he thought to himself as his mortal let out a groan of pain as she sat up from his bed whilst rubbing her eyes. She and her colleagues will do nicely, he said to himself from his seat by the fireplace, smirk gracing his lips as he noticed his captive take in her new surroundings, from the large open balcony with sight of the mountain range that protected this castle, to the high ceilings of glass.

 

“It’s about time you woke up. Another day and I would have started calling you ‘Sleeping Beauty.’” He said, making the mortal turn to him, shock in her eyes for a moment before they went instantly blank of all emotions.

 

Oh yes, this mortal would suit his purposes perfectly.

 

“Who are you and where am I?” She asked as she moved off the bed, willing her legs to carry her weight.

 

He clucked and shook his head at the rather predictable move and questions. “Who I am and where you are matters not. We have far more.. Interesting and profitable topics to discuss.”

 

“I do not deal with people I do not know.”

 

“I was not aware I had given you a choice.” He replied wryly. When he saw his captive scan the room for potential weapons, he snapped his fingers and she instantly froze, unable to move her own body. “Do not worry. This will benefit us both. I get unforeseen power and you shall defeat those Avengers who have ruined everything for you.”

 

“Who are you?” She snarled at him.

 

He smirked as he uncrossed his legs and got up, walked the length of his rather large room towards her. “My dear, to put it simply..” A finger traced her jawline as he leaned in and his eyes met hers. “I am the stuff fairy tales told you to beware of.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short update while I finish the next chapter and do some revisions for Chapter Five and Six.


	7. Chapter Five

True to their word, their chambers in the palace had remained the same, untouched since Loki’s fall since she was still alive and technically still a Princess of Asgard. Sigyn inhaled deeply the moment she had came in then opened her eyes as she exhaled.

 

The room even still smelled the same way; that smell of her scented candles and the lingering smell of Loki’s armor and leather, though that particular smell was almost gone.

 

Her hand ran across the table tops and the back of the chair in the receiving room, thankful that she had cast, or rather she had made Loki cast, a spell to keep dust away. She went through the doorway leading to the spacious chamber she and her husband had shared decades ago. Her footsteps rang softly as she crossed the floor and went to her armoire, her hand running through the soft fabrics within. With another sigh, she chose one and focused her attention on the gown, closing her eyes. She felt the familiar tingle of her seior against her skin and when she opened her eyes, she was now wearing a gown she knew would delight Loki because it was his colors, hopefully making it easier for her to get the answers she needs. She took a quick glance at the mirror and adjusted the waist of the emerald green gown with black lace clinching her waist and ran a hand through her hair.

 

When she left the room, she blinked when she saw a pair of chambermaids, a brunette and a blonde, waiting for her in the receiving room. “Hello?” She asked as she motioned for them to rise.

 

“We’ve been sent by the Queen to help you with anything you need during your stay.” The brunette, Drifa she was later told, replied.

 

“Oh. Well, I’m just going to visit my husband,” she paused, awaiting their reaction knowing that Loki was probably the least favorite person in the Realms barring his daughter, Hela. Getting none, she continued. “Can one of you get one of the satchels in the closet and put in one of my Vanir-styled gowns and a Aesir-styled gowns then the other head to my personal residence and grab all the books on Midgard in my husband’s study that aren’t fictional. If memory serves me, there’s only a couple that aren’t fiction and are on their history.” She looked around and grabbed one of the tokens Loki always kept near for moments like these. “Show this to the guards at the estate and have one of them help you and go straight to the dungeons and hand me them.”

 

“Yes Your Highness. Would you also like us to add one of your tiaras?” The other, Halla, asked. “And would you like us to style your hair and place one right now?”

 

Sigyn looked at her hair then shook her head. “Maybe next time.” At that, she gave a small nod to indicate the conversation was over. The two curtseyed again as she left the rooms and walked into the hall where a guard was waiting for her.

 

Hand on his chest; he bowed. “Your Highness, I’ve been instructed to show you to the dungeons.”

 

It was a long walk, the royal residences being in the opposite direction of the dungeons. The walk was mostly silent, though Sigyn noticed from the corner of her eyes that some of the old timers in court were lurking by and staring at her. If it was because of her sudden return or because she was obviously going to see Loki, she didn’t knew.

 

The moment they turned to the stairs leading to the dungeons, Sigyn paused and when the guard stopped to look at her, she shook her head as her hands smoothed down her skirts.

 

“Your Highness, do you require assistance?” A voice behind her came, and Sigyn closed her eyes as she remembered whose voice it was.

 

“Not by the likes of you Fandral.” Sigyn replied as she turned to see that it was Fandral, along with Sif. “But you Lady Sif, are most welcome.”

 

Sif smirked as Fandral frowned. “Off to see Loki in his cell?”

 

“Yes. I am off to see my husband.” Sigyn replied wearily. “And I imagine you both are on the way to see Thor?”

 

“Yes. And I heard you came back with a Prince Lokason.” Fandral answered for them both. “Should we be afraid? Because the last Princess Lokason did some awful things to my hair.”

 

“At least we know spawns of Loki are just like him.” Sif frowned as well, remembering too well the incident with her hair. “Anyway, we will go to Thor and leave you to your husband.”

 

Sigyn waited a beat as they both disappeared from her line of sight and turned back to her guard. “Let’s continue, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

 

“You have a visitor!”

 

Loki didn’t bother looking away from the book he was reading at the moment he heard the announcement. It was probably his mother, though he didn’t know why she would personally visit when she usually just sent a projection. Probably something to do with his estate since it was in the joint name of his wife and he.

 

He glanced at his book and threw it at the side. He was bored with it anyway and the visitor probably came at the right time to give him some entertainment on this particularly dull day.

 

“I know we haven’t seen each other in sixteen years but I never thought you would start throwing books aside while I was away,” came a very, very familiar voice, a voice with the light tilt of the Vanir, now very obviously amused at him.

 

“Narvi, you told me you two were in Midgard.” Loki muttered under his breath as he sat up and, as expected, there was his wife, wearing one of the gowns she had left at their palace chambers, looking just like she had left him.

 

“What was that husband? I didn’t hear you.” Sigyn said from her side, head tilted, not too secretly scanning the physical changes in her husband, from his longer hair to the hinted stronger built beneath his, big surprise, green tunic.  

 

“It’s nothing. Narvi told me you weren’t on Asgard.”

 

“He also said I’d send you a letter, but alas, here I am. Isn’t this better?” Sigyn asked then looked pointedly at the force field. “Am I not going to be let in?”

 

Loki tore his eyes from her and nodded at the guard as he moved to the back of his cell, as was procedure.

 

A guard pulled the switch, which powered the force field down, and the guard that escorted Sigyn bowed at her then held his arm out to help her out. Then he remembered something and turned to Loki. “Permission to help Your Highness’s Princess up, Prince Loki?”

 

“Ask me. Not him. Permission very granted.” Sigyn replied before Loki could open his mouth, grabbing the arm held for her and hoisting herself up to the slightly raised platform of his cell and the accepted the cylinder case handed to her by the guard. As she stepped away from the edge, she heard the distinct hiss as the force field came back. “I never knew that ages old declaration of yours that no one was to touch me without your permission was still remembered.” She mused to her husband who had moved to his chair.

 

“And of all the things I’ve said about you in public here in Asgard, that’s what you remember?” Loki asked as he gestured to the chair across him for her, which she took, the cylinder case coming to a rest at the ground.

 

“Oh no. There’s a lot more I remember that can’t be repeated in present audience.” She gestured to the prisoners from across his cell watching their exchange. “Maybe an illusion will help, or have you lost your touch in that area?”

 

Loki rolled his eyes as he waved his hand, setting an illusion in place. “Illusion is done my dear.”

 

“Then I can greet my husband properly now.” Sigyn smiled as she rose from her seat and settled into Loki’s lap, his arms easily coming to wrap around her waist as his lips met hers. It was only a second, a swift touching of their lips, before she leaned away. “That doesn’t mean I’m not pissed at you for trying to become King of Midgard.” She punched him at his side, which probably didn’t hurt him at all, but he winced nonetheless. “Did their history not say it all? They are not meant to be ruled by one! They not only procreate like rabbits, but their ideas and philosophies are too many and too varied to rule as one!”

 

“My dear Sigyn, please-“

 

“No. Let me finish you idiot. I was in the same room as you when Master Kvasir underlined his point that if we were to ever make ourselves known to the humans, then we should do it as ambassadors of peace and not as conquerors because they do not take kindly to it.” When Sigyn noticed that Loki had let out a deep sigh, she hit him at the back of his head, to which he did let out a small moan of pain. “And to think you even started it from Germany. For Odin’s sake Loki.. Did. You. Not. Listen?!”

 

From the last sentence, she hit him after every word, just to underline her point.

 

“What do you want me to do my dear?” Loki asked, grip on her waist tightening ever so slightly. “Say sorry? Because if that will make you forget-“

 

“No. By the Norns. Loki, when we first..” Sigyn paused as she tried to find her words. “When we started our relationship, we promised each other that we wouldn’t apologize for anything we do to serve our own interests, as long as the other was given some sort of head’s up.” She finished, hands on his shoulders as her temporary anger faded away.

 

“So you’re pissed at me for not giving you a warning?”

 

“Was that all you took out of everything that I said?” Sigyn asked in an exasperated tone. “By the Norns, why did I marry you?” Loki let out a small growl in response and nipped at her jaw, as if to remind her why. “Oh hush you. I know very well why. It was a rhetorical question to underline my exasperation with you.”

 

“If you say so my dear.” Loki started as he carried her easily, a hand going to her thigh to wrap around him, to steady her as he carried her to his bed.

 

“So, who was the mastermind of your little attempt?” Sigyn said as she found herself settled at his bed and his lips at her neck. When she received no answer, her hands buried themselves in his soft hair, figuring that the moment he got out, he would gel them back as per usual. She gripped his hair and pulled him off her. “Loki.”

 

“Must we really have an interrogation my dear?” Loki asked, also now in exasperation. “And how did you come to the conclusion that _I_ was not the one who headed the attempted take-over?”

 

“Because I know how you think, have been privy to your thinking process and I know that if you were to attempt it, it would have been a different story. For one, your seior is unmatched by the most modern of weapons created by humans. If you had used that, and your brains, then you would be King of Midgard, sitting on a throne somewhere in Midgard, and not here in Asgard, stuck in a cell that is decorated in an attempt to replicate our chambers at the palace.”

 

“What do you want to hear me say Sigyn? That I was brainwashed? That I was tortured?” Loki spat as his arms held him above her on his bed.

 

“If that’s the truth, then yes!”

 

Loki’s hands clenched into fists at the sides of Sigyn’s head, his eyes closed and his breathing becoming heavy.

 

Sigyn touched his cheek gently. “Loki?”

 

“It’s nothing Sigyn.” Loki brushed her hand away as he sat up, swinging his legs off his bed, burying his head in his hands. “It’s nothing.”

 

“Don’t brush me off husband.” Sigyn said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, massaging his shoulders to relieve some strain. A silence fell between them. “When we took our vows, we promised to be honest with each other. Even before that, we promised to be open with one another. Has my absence really changed that much?”

 

“No.” Loki said in a strained voice as he looked up to her. “No.” He repeated in a stronger voice. “I just need some time before I can share it with you. Will you please wait for me to be ready, my dear?”

 

Sigyn smiled as one of his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him, his face burrowing in her shoulder, his breath soft against the nape of her neck. “Since you asked so nicely, yes.” She ran a hand through his hair for a second before saying something. “You know, if you show this side of you more, people would think of you differently.”

 

“They already think of me weak here in Asgard. My dear, not all places are like Vanaheim.” Loki said wryly as he leaned away, his forehead resting on hers.

 

“Uh-hmmm.” Sigyn arched her back to bring herself closer, a thumb massaging her lower back gently. “Now kiss me already. And not a soft one like before.”

 

Much to Sigyn’s delight, he did just that, his hands going to her face, holding her steady as his lips met hers, leaning her back to his pillows as his body covered hers, her hands resting at his chest and a shoulder. As the kiss deepened, a moan coming from Sigyn as a hand left her face and found its way to her back, pulling her closer to his body, Loki found himself pulling at some of his seior to remove their clothes instantly.

 

Sensing the light seior gather in the air, Sigyn’s hand moved from his shoulder and grabbed the one at her back. “No. Not here Loki.” She whispered against his lips.

 

“You weren’t so negative about this when we did the same in a carriage in Vanaheim.” Loki replied, his lips moving to her neck, giving it a light rain of kisses.

 

“It’s because we didn’t have time constraints then. Or a chambermaid who will be arriving here shortly to hand me books from your study so that you may help me in the quest to save Midgard.” Sigyn replied.

 

Hearing the last part of her reply, Loki leaned off with a growl, much different from the growl that left him before. “You’re helping my – Thor save Midgard?”

 

“My, my. And here I thought I was the only one you so actively possessed. But to think your brother is now ‘my Thor’ after trying to kill him.” Sigyn playfully answered as she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. “And yes. I am helping them. Midgard, after all, was and is my sanctuary.”

 

Loki looked at his wife and let out yet another heavy sigh. “Very well, how may I help?”

 

“We start once the chambermaid-“

 

Sigyn was cut off when a guard announced that a chambermaid had come from their estate, bearing books. “Just in time.” Sigyn said, smiling to herself as the force was put down for just enough time to let the books slide through. Observing this, Sigyn glanced at Loki. “Weird. You could easily leave your illusion here and shapeshift into some kind of animal to go away. Why don’t you?”

 

“Because that would give me a harsher sentence and I would like to see my son before he is old enough to give me grandsons. Speaking of Narvi, he is with you?” Loki asked as he shook the illusions away and levitated the books to the middle of the room and poured himself and Sigyn some wine.

 

Sigyn accepted the wine and nodded. “In the gardens with Frigga.”

 

“And how did she react? What has she told you?” Loki asked as he helped her to the floor, knowing she thought better sitting down on the floor to think.

 

“I don’t know. We talk after this. Narvi stays here while I go get scolded.” Sigyn waved it away. “I have a ready argument. Let’s start, yes?”

 

“If I must.”

 

Laughing at Loki’s put out look at having to help, Sigyn leaned down and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “Of course you must. Why, you’re in the prophecy with me, said we would help the Avengers.” She shook her head. “I’ll tell you more later.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was an hour of scouring through the books, translating the Greek into their own language, before they found exactly what they needed: a passage in the Callimachus Text, hidden in an overfilled page describing the Colossus itself.

 

The Colossus, in the visual of the Sun  
Two entrances, one plain, one the opposite,  
Carved by the fifth Great Architect,  
The easier route lies  
In the Nubian swamp to the south of Soter’s tenth mine,  
Covered among Sobek’s minions,  
Find the four symbols of the Lower Kingdom.  
There shall be the passage to the harder route.

Once the passage was discovered, all Loki did was sit back and let his wife do the thinking, butting in every once in a while as he laid out the maps she brought.

 

“Soter..” Sigyn began as she copied the passage in a notebook rolled up in the cylinder.

 

“Ptolemy I. He was a favorite of Master Kvasir. And Sobek is the Egyptian crocodile god, meaning his minions would be crocodiles. Nubia is.. Sudan. Or is it called something else now my dear?” Loki asked as he enjoyed the view of his wife being very academic.

 

“It’s still Sudan. Fifth architect would be Imhotep V since all Imhotep’s are great architects and symbols of the Lower Kingdom is the lotus tree.” Sigyn said. She took her phone from a pouch she had brought with her and took a picture of the original passage, her translation, and her conclusion. “I’ll send this down to them and let them use their technology to pin point an exact location since I have no access here in your cell.” She said as she then dialed the number to the only Avenger whose number was in her phone – Tony Stark of course.

 

“Hey Mrs. RG. Find anything good?” The cheerful voice of Tony came just as Thor and Narvi came outside of Loki’s cell.

 

“Hi daddy!” Narvi waved at Loki, who smiled and gave him a small wave back.

 

“Can you wait until your mother’s call is over Narvi? The sudden fluctuation of the force field may make it hard for her to have a smooth conversation.” Loki asked as he motioned for the guard not to shut the force field down just yet.

 

“You have produced a fine child brother.” Thor said to Loki who glared at him in return.

 

“Thor, why is it that until now, you’ve still chosen to call me brother? And of course he is a fine child; he is Sigyn and mine. Did you expect anything else?” Loki replied, rather tired of reminding Thor that he was adopted, thus not his brother.

 

“Hey! Is that the original Reindeer Games that I hear snarking away in the background?” Tony interrupted Sigyn’s explanation that she was sending the files while they were talking.

 

“If by Reindeer Games you mean me, then yes, it is I.” Loki replied as he turned his attention back on his wife and that device that was currently on loudspeaker.

 

“Ahh. It’s still like sitting through Shakespeare in the Park. Not that I’ve ever went to one. I think I may have once, but then, who knows. I may have been drunk-“

 

“Your point for calling me to your attention?” Loki asked, trying and achieving to project boredom into the dulcet tones of his voice.

 

“Oh. Yeah. About that. So, I heard a song in this movie the other day and it reminded me of you. Damn it, if I knew I was going to sing this, I would have brought along a guitar.” Tony rambled on as Sigyn sat back and let her husband talk to the man he also tried to kill once upon a time.

 

“Do you even know how to play a guitar Mr. Stark?”

 

“Not even a single chord, but for your husband, I would learn how.”

 

“Are you propositioning me Stark?”

 

“Sssh. Not too loud. Someone might hear and tell Pepper.” Tony replied in a voice suggesting that the very though of it was worth to pretend being a spy over.

 

“Again, your point in this conversation Stark? I thought you would have wanted to hear the conclusion of my wife and I on your little quest to save Midgard.” Loki snarled the last four words.

 

“Hey. No need to go use the possessive nouns-pronouns-adjectives-adverbs-whatever you call them.”

 

“Possessive pronoun.” Sigyn butt in.

 

“Cool. Anyway. Song.” Tony cleared his throat and Sigyn looked up in time to see Loki roll his eyes before leaning down to kiss her cheek. _“Reindeers are better than people. Loki, don’t you think that’s true?”_

 

Sigyn covered her mouth to try and mask the giggles that were threatening to come out of her. She had taken Narvi to see the movie, Frozen, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would have Iron Man singing a song for a reindeer to her husband who just a year ago had pushed him out of his own building. She once again looked at her husband and saw him close his eyes and rub his forehead trying to get the familiar feeling of wanting to kill a man out of his system.

 

She took pity on him and pulled him closer until his head was on her lap and she took over massaging his forehead.

 

_“But people smell better than reindeer. Sigyn, don’t you think I’m right?”_

 

Sigyn leaned towards her phone as she decided to join in the little song. _“That’s once again true. For all except you.”_ She answered, causing Loki to open one eyelid to stare up at her. She shrugged in response and Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his wife.

 

“Hey,” Tony paused, sounding put off that Sigyn had stolen a line ahead of him. But not to be outdone, he continued nonetheless. _“Let’s call it a night. Good night. Don’t let the frostbite….bite.”_

“Was that supposed to be amusing Stark?” Loki asked the moment Tony had stopped singing.

 

“Hey. I could’ve sung Let It Go instead. But sadly, it is out of my vocal range. I shall endeavor to work on it so that I can sing it in front of you the next time I see you.”

 

“And that’s supposed to mean anything to me?”

 

“Both songs are from a movie called Frozen.” Sigyn explained to her husband. “It’s about two sisters, one who has control of ice and snow. Let It Go is her image song. The other song Mr. Stark sang-“

 

“Drop the Mr., will you Tinkerbell?”

 

“Did you just call my wife by an character who’s supposedly based off of one of your sex symbols?”

 

“Didn’t know you knew your Disney. But hey, at least Tinkerbell wears green.”

 

“Boys, can we please get back to our conversation?”

 

“Yes, let’s. So why should I care that you chose to sing about reindeers and not this Let It Go song?”

 

‘Well, I was thinking of going back to talking about the Seven Wonders, but by all means, if this is how you two bond, bickering over pop culture references with each other – weird, by the way, because one of you a) tried to take over the very realm that produces those pop culture references and b) said being who tried to take over that realm mostly lives in the realm I’m currently on – then by all means, have at it boys.”

 

“Ignore my wife and answer the question Stark.”

 

“Did you seriously just tell someone to ignore me?!”

 

“Your time on Midgard has made your speech similar to those of the common folk my dear.”

 

“Ooooh. Loki’s going to be couch man tonight. Can you take a picture Tink?”

 

“One, my cell does not have a couch. Two, she will be back at Midgard by the time the sun sets in Asgard. Three, I did not miss you calling my wife by a diminutive version of ‘Tinkerbell’ either.”

 

“Hard to let anything get pass you, eh Rock of Ages? Except maybe, becoming King of my world. But hey-“

 

“Boys. Please. Concentrate and stop going off into tangents. Thor is watching outside and it looks like his head will combust-“

 

“For all the years I’ve known him, I assure you that is his default face my dear.” Loki commented dryly, getting a slap on the side by Sigyn as she continued what she was saying.

 

“-from all the things we are saying. Not to mention Narvi is probably looking at the other prisoners right now and wondering if he can make faces at them and not get reprimanded. Thor, can you please look into my son not getting into trouble right now? I have my hands full with one mischief maker at the moment.”

 

“Of course sister.” Thor looked around, and sure enough, Narvi was leaning over to look into one of the cells, blinking his eyes as one of the prisoners within knelt at his level and stared back at him. “Nephew! It is best not to mock them.”

 

“But I’m not mocking them uncle. I’m copying whatever they do,” came Narvi’s bright reply.

 

A brief silence filled the air of Loki’s cell as neither the married couple or Tony spoke.

 

“So….” Tony paused for a moment. “Where were we?”

 

“Let It Go and why I should be thankful you didn’t sing me that.”

 

Sigyn groaned at her husband’s stubbornness. “For the love of Yggdrasil, Loki… Let. It. Go.”

 

“Nice pun there Mrs. RG.”

 

“I assure you Mr. Stark, it was not intended.”

 

“Intended or not-“

 

“Stark, the answer to my inquiry, if you may.”

 

“Oh. Well, the last line of the song-“

 

Sigyn closed her eyes and laid down on Loki’s bed, suddenly tired. “Damn it all to Hell.” She held up a finger, anticipating the withering look Loki would give her. “And no, not your daughter’s realm but Midgard’s Hell.”

 

“The last line is, and wow I just realized I should be thankful you’re not here to throw me off the helicarrier and into the Mediterranean right now. The last line is,” Tony paused for dramatic effect and Sigyn swore she could hear Loki’s jaw clench.

 

She opened her eyes. Yep. His jaws were clenched.

 

 _“The cold never bothered me anyway.”_ Tony attempted before switching back to his conversational self. “Which is an allusion to you being all frost giant-y and of course the cold never bothers you.”

 

“Stark, I suggest we put our focus back o the ancient wonders.” Loki said suddenly, in his diplomatic voice.

 

Tony paused and Sigyn sat up. Both were waiting for some sort of outburst from the man who was bearing the brunt of the joke.

 

“Right. Yeah. Lay it on me Mrs. RG.” Tony said, not wanting to take a risk at that moment. “By ‘lay it on me’ I meant-“

 

“Tell you the situation. Was it not obvious during our verbal exchange earlier that I am familiar with your vernacular?”

 

“Who knows, maybe it’s limited to pop culture references.”

 

“BOYS. Before we go off into another tangent, there are things that have to be said. Tony, Loki believes the Colossus is in Sudan and I agree. While the two of you were having, whatever it was you two were doing, pictures of my analysis has been sent to you. I’ll explain when I get back.”

 

“Okiedoks. Yeah. I see them. Finished sending by the way. I should go tell the people here that. Well, then, see you when I see you, same goes to you Lord Voldemort.”

 

“Great. Now it’s the villain of a children’s book.”

 

Tony laughed on his end. “I totally enjoyed our exchange today-“

 

“I’ll say ‘likewise’ just to be diplomatic since you are currently working with my wife and housing my son.”

 

“Sure. Whatever you say. Hey, before I go, I have another question for you Sven.”

 

“Sven?” Loki glanced at his wife in a mixture of bewilderment and exasperation.

 

“The name of the reindeer in Frozen.” Sigyn answered, causing Loki to sigh at yet another nickname based off of his ceremonial helm.

 

“Very well. What is it Stark?”

 

“Do you guys melt in the heat?”

 

“I know not. Why is this any of your concern?”

 

“Because if you don’t, wasted opportunity to call you Olaf and sing In the Summer to you, which would round out my favorite songs from that little animated movie. Unless you suddenly grow your hair so long that I can move on to another Disney movie and call you Rapunzel and wake you up by saying ‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!’”

 

“I think that it’s safe to say that if I were to ever return to Midgard to help, I would be sleeping in my wife’s arms every night-“

 

“And you two would be dancing in the sheets? Ok. Respectable. You’re married, we accept that, but please not on the helicarrier. These walls are not sound proof. Damn, I should call Pepper to sound proof the rooms your missus will be staying in.”

 

“I thought we were ending this conversation. Why do you two seem so intent on dragging it along?” Sigyn cut in as the guard, probably instructed by Thor to just let the force field go, let the said prince and Narvi in.

 

“Hi Mr. Stark!”

 

“Man of Iron.”

 

“I wouldn’t say it’s dragging. And hello to you too Tom Marvolo Riddle, Point Break.”

 

“And I assure you, by no means is this intentional.” Loki added, choosing to ignore the fact that his son was just christened a new nickname, this time the actual name of Lord Voldemort.

 

“And now the Capsicle is giving me weird looks. Or, well, weirder than usual. Did I say he was here with me during the whole time? How he held back and didn’t butt in, I don’t know. But hey, he probably doesn’t understand our references.”

 

“I was alive when Peter Pan was created Stark.” Steve finally said, confirming for all those in Asgard that he really was in the same room as Tony.

 

“The novel, the play or the movie?” Tony deadpanned.

 

“While I leave you two to settle that question, why don’t we say good bye to one another. Consider this me saying good bye Mr. Stark.” Sigyn cut in, taking the opportunity to end this highly convoluted conversation.

 

“Sure thing. I bid thee farewell, House of Reindeer Games and Point Break. Hey, Thor, do me a favor. Make sure Tinkerbell doesn’t get knocked up by Sven-“

 

Loki took his opportunity and turned her phone off.

 

“That wasn’t very nice.” Sigyn commented, eyebrow raised as she caught the cellphone that was thrown her way.

 

“I threw him off a building once my dear, did you expect me to be nice?” Loki said as he looked down at his son, in person this time and not a mere illusion, and wondered to himself just what was he going to do now.

 

“Not at all.” Sigyn said as she caught his slight hesitation. “Thor, why don’t you go bring me to your mother. I believe she wants to see me.” She said as she stood up then pointed at the scattered things then at Loki. “I’ll get them when I return to get Narvi before we leave back for Midgard.”

 

All she got in return was a single nod from the man who was now a statue, staring back at his son who was staring back at him.

 

Sigyn sighed and kneeled next to Narvi, an arm going around his shoulder. “You two play nice. Now give your daddy a hug and keep him company while I go see your grandma, ok?” She asked Narvi before she let him go with a brief kiss on the forehead.

 

“Hi daddy.” Narvi opened his arms for a hug at the man who had sired him, his staring eyes turning into a look of expectation.

 

Loki let a small smile grace his face as he lowered down and opened his arms as the force field came down and Sigyn and Thor left him and his son. “Took after your mother I see. A hugger.” He commented as he felt two arms wrap around him, an odd feeling.

 

But that didn’t mean Loki didn’t overhear Thor as Sigyn as he helped her out of his cell. “I’m sorry sister, but what does ‘knocked up’ mean?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asgard portion was supposed to be done by this chapter, or at least in my mind and my written chapter outline it was. And then Loki and Tony took over and like Sigyn, even I became exasperated at those two.
> 
> Also, pictures of the dress in this chapter and from Interlude (I) now posted in the Tumblr.


	8. Chapter Six

Like the walk from her chambers to the dungeons, the walk was a long one, where Sigyn was able to explain in a quick manner what ‘knocked up’ meant exactly. Unlike the first walk, however, there was a show of everyone curtseying or bowing, although Sigyn knew that this was because Thor was escorting her this time around and not some obscure guard.

 

“Sister, please lighten your grip on my arm.” Thor requested when they were nearing the gardens, causing Sigyn to apologize quickly when she realized she had taken to squeezing the arm she was holding on in an attempt to alleviate her nervousness at meeting Frigga. “My mother is the Patron of Marriages and Motherhood. I’m sure that if you explain her reasoning to her, in a calm manner, than she will understand the reasons why you had hid Narvi away.”

 

“Yes. Well, it seems we are all hoping for that.” Sigyn sighed. “Was I too offensive earlier to you Thor? If I was, know that I meant you no offense personally.”

 

Thor laughed it off, tapping her hand that rested at the crook of his arm gently. “You were just being a mother who was guarding her young, not expecting someone from here, me, to suddenly locate you. Do not worry sister, I understand. You may be married to my brother, even if he thinks he is not my brother, but I saw you as well when we lost young Alivia.” He paused at the mention of the first child she had borne Loki, the very Princess Lokadottir that had thought it funny to change Fandral’s hair the colors of the Rainbow Bridge – something that had taken Loki an hour to undo due to his nonstop laughing.

 

“It’s okay Thor. You can speak of her.” Sigyn replied, looking away, eyes wistful as she bade a memory away. “It does not hurt that much anymore. She is happy at my mother’s hall, I am sure.”

 

“Yes. Father never did like that. He felt that your young one was choosing favorite grandparents.” Thor let out a snort. “But your mother always relayed news on the little one to my mother, so I guess it was for the better that she stay at the hall of the grandparent that is always there.”

 

They were both talking about the two halls the honored dead could choose from. Sigyn’s mother, Freya, as the Queen of the Valkyries, had first choice in those that would take to her hall, Sessrumnir, while the other half went to the more known and revered Valhalla, under the command of Odin.

 

“Our mother’s always were in correspondence with one another, I never figured out with what though.” Sigyn wondered out loud as they turned to another hallway, this one leading directly to the gardens kept outside the personal residence of the royal family, where Frigga had said she would meet her.

 

“Did you not know? There were plans of the two of us getting married once, and then it became me and the next sister of yours, Nanna I believe her name is.” Thor explained, causing Sigyn to look up at him.

 

“You’re kidding me, right?”

 

Thor paused, realized it was a rhetorical question, then shook his head as a stray thought occurred to him. “I’m sorry, for a moment there, I thought you were Jane’s assistant.”

 

“I don’t know who this Jane is but that is most certainly a human name. Must be the girl Loki told me about, the one you met when you were banished. Will I get to meet her while we’re helping the Avengers?” Sigyn asked as they paused just outside the gardens.

 

“Maybe. Nothing is really for certain when it comes to her and I. But, now you’re just bidding your time. My mother awaits for you under the tree with red apples.” Thor said as he let go of her hand and bowed. “I will go to my chambers and gather some weapons and the like for our trip back.”

 

“Yes. Thank you Thor. For both not marrying my sister and accompanying me here.”

 

Thor smiled at her. “I’ve learned long ago that I would not be able to keep up with the likes of either Freyjadottirs so I am thankful for that as well. Being a favorite brother-in-law to the younger Freyjadottirs is a good enough role for me.”

 

* * *

 

An eyebrow rose as green eyes met curious blue eyes. Narvi tilted his head as he looked at his father, almost as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. From his position on the chair, Loki stared back. “Yes?”

 

Narvi smiled at him and shook his head as he climbed onto Loki’s bed. “Nothing daddy. How come you don’t look like Uncle Thor or Grandma and Grandpa?”

 

Loki held his tongue and just waved the question away as he said “Let’s just say I got the good genes in the family. You should agree since you look like me.”

 

Narvi nodded at that. “That’s what mama says all the time.” He feigned a proud look on his face and tried to imitate his mother’s voice. “’You look more like your father everyday. May the Norns help me.’”

 

 _Oh yes._ Loki thought as he let a chuckle escape his lips. _Narvi was decidedly his son._

 

Loki sobered up as he walked towards his son and knelt, his eyes level with Narvi’s own, who stared back, the confused look in his eyes returning, almost as if he was wondering just what he was going to do with his father now that he had one in his physical presence. “How has your mother been doing?” He asked in a soft voice as to not let anyone else hear. True, there was an illusion up, but when it came to talking about Sigyn, it was just his instinct to whisper it.

 

“Mama? She’s okay.” Narvi answered. When he saw that Loki was waiting for more, he pursed his lips as he tried to figure out what else to say. “She and Aina take turns cooking. Aina stayed behind to help out with anything the Avengers need in regards to Asgard. Mama likes to make me read books.” Narvi scowled. “She stopped reading me to sleep a couple of years ago. Will you read me to sleep when you get out daddy?”

 

Loki gave him a small smile and nodded. “Of course I will. What does your mother do, when she’s not with you?” He continued his inquiry.

 

“Study in one of the universities. Read books. Buy more books to read.” Narvi smiled at a sudden thought. “She bought me Percy Jackson and said you would like him. Would you read me Percy Jackson? He’s the son of Poseidon.”

 

“Poseidon you say?” Loki was familiar with this god, another god who fathered a horse himself. Well, Loki personally gave birth to his horse of a child, but the similarity was there.

 

Narvi nodded. “The Greek god of the sea. And great-grandpa is the sea god so does that make me related to Percy Jackson?”

 

Loki shook his head. “No. The Greek Pantheon is different from ours. For one, they reside on Midgard and do not have the capability to travel the other Realms. Only we may.” Loki answered in brief as he got up and sat next to Narvi.

 

Narvi turned around and sat Indian style as he positioned himself to be able to look at his father.

 

“What did… Mother and the All-Father say when they saw you?” Loki asked as he held his arms out, letting Narvi into his lap as he rested against the headboard.

 

Narvi took the signal and nestled into his fathers lap, just letting himself get used to his fathers build before figuring out where exactly to wrap his arms around his father.

 

“Your mother prefers to hug me around my waist.” Loki muttered as he looked down at Narvi.

 

Narvi did just that and then went back to answering his father’s question. “Grandma asked mama if I could come closer and grandpa banged that big stick of his and pronounced me Prince of Asgard.”

 

Loki took the part about Odin in and let it sink in for a while. So his son was not shunned away and was given his due as a Prince of Asgard. Then he looked down at said spawn and figured that it was because Narvi was not deformed nor did he have a prophecy hanging around him saying that he would bring forth the end of Odin’s life.

 

“And was it your grandma who dressed you up?” Loki asked, referring to what Narvi was wearing. If memory served him right, it was similar to his own clothes back when he was young, around Narvi’s age.

 

Narvi nodded. “She asked if I wanted it in any other color but it looked good on me.” He looked down at his green-leather covered arms and nodded again, almost as if assuring himself that his decision was right. “Green really looks good on me. Grandma says it’s because I kinda look like you and that’s why.”

 

Loki bit his bottom lip as to not scold Narvi for his use of Midgardian slang and chose to place his hands on Narvi’s shoulder and pulled him away for a second, his eyes looking at his son from bottom up. “Oh yes. You do look like me.” His hold on his shoulders loosened and allowed Narvi back into his side. “Though if you do not like the color, do not be afraid to choose another for your official colors. I will not take it as a slight if you do.” Loki paused then added one last thing. “As long as it’s not red.”

 

“Aw. I really wanted to get an Iron Man suit.” Narvi pouted but Loki saw the mischievous glint in his son’s eye, so he chose not to react violently. “He told me about that time you threw him out of a window. Or well, Ms. Natasha did.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. “No. Red will not suit our pale skin. And while I am glad that the ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ do not harm you or look at you unkindly-“

 

“Mr. Clint looks at me like I’m a walking bomb. But that’s probably because I accidentally used some of my seior to make something explode when I was in their training room. But it was an accident, I swear it was!”

 

“-Please do not get their stubbornness.” Loki finished then registered what Narvi had said. “Clint? You mean the Hawkeye.”

 

“The Hawkeye is a mouthful. So I call him Mr. Clint.”

 

Loki shook his head. He swallowed the rising temptation to give his son a lecture on his place as a Prince of Asgard and Vanaheim (and Jotunheim, though that was still a secret) and stroked Narvi’s hair instead. “Have you seen Sleipnir?” He asked, deciding that questions about family were sufficient enough at the moment.

 

Narvi nodded enthusiastically. “Grandma introduced me to Sleipnir. How come I wasn’t born an eight legged horse as well daddy?”

 

Loki chuckled at the thought of an eight-legged horse coming out of his wife. “I do not think your mother would like to go through the pain of giving birth to something that she is not capable of giving birth to.”

 

If that ever happened, he knew Sigyn would follow up on her threats of him never being allowed between her legs ever again.

 

Narvi waited a beat. “So, now that you and mom are reunited after such a long separation…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“When can I get a little brother?”

 

* * *

  

After Thor left her at the entrance to the personal gardens of Frigga, Sigyn took a deep breath, thinking that today was massing up to be as stressful as that first day in Midgard, and went in; luckily, it was easy to find her mother-in-law, sitting on a stone bench, book open in her hand though it looked like her mind was elsewhere. Sigyn curtseyed low to the Queen of Asgard that hailed from her own lands, a curtsey very much like the one in the throne room earlier.

 

“He is a fireball, your Narvi, so filled with energy.” Frigga spoke up when it became apparent that Sigyn would not speak up. “And rise, daughter, and sit next to me.”

 

Sigyn did just that, hands intertwined on her lap as she wondered just how this conversation would go. In her youth, she had been trained to always be one step ahead in anything, especially in conversations that might prove fruitful when you ask the right questions and conversations that would prove essential when you provide the right answers. But even when she had gone to Asgard all those years ago, not as Loki’s bride but as part of her coming-of-age year celebrations; even when she had met Frigga when she had represented Loki in the marriage negotiations; even when she had lived in Asgard for short periods of time, she had never been able to say that she was able to steer a conversation with the All-Mother.

 

Frigga was simply someone Sigyn couldn’t read, even if it did seem that the Queen wore her emotions on her sleeve, as mortals would say.

 

All an elaborate mask, Sigyn remembered she once concluded, a mask made out of truth and falsities.

 

“What have I done for you to disrespect me? For you to scorn me so?”

 

At Frigga’s words, Sigyn snapped out of her reverie and looked at her mother-in-law who had closed her book and set it aside. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean. Disrespect? Scorn?”

 

“Why else would you hide my grandson from me? I cannot think of any other reason why. A grandchild! Was I ever remiss in my feelings for Alivia? Did I do wrong to your daughter that I did not know of? Is that why you hid Narvi on Midgard, away from Asgard, and by extension, Vanaheim?” Frigga asked, turning her body to talk to Sigyn face to face, to see how Sigyn reacted.

 

Sigyn bit her bottom lip as she collected her thoughts. “I assure you my Queen, it was not disrespect or scorn.” She paused, her hands splayed on her lap as she tried to form a sentence that would accurately explain why. “I did it to protect our child.”

 

“Protect your child? He is Prince of Asgard and Vanaheim. Is that not protection enough?”

 

“It wasn’t enough to protect my daughter!” Sigyn spat out then she froze and buried her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I did not mean for it to come out that way.” Sigyn replied in explanation, knowing that she had never actually said anything in such a negative manner to the woman she called ‘mother.’

 

Frigga rubbed a hand over the younger Vanir’s back. “Is there any suspicions that you have that you wish to raise?”

 

Sigyn took a deep breath and thought about her options. She could tell her fears, and she knew that Frigga would understand why she had done what she did. She could then hope that it would never reach the ears of the All-Father, the very person she suspected was behind everything considering what he had done to Loki’s other children. Her second option was to lie her way out of the figurative mess she had made, though the potential of an even bigger mess to unravel was a huge possibility that not even she would be able to get out of.

 

So she settled on the most simple of answers: the truth.

 

“I fear that Alivia’s death was not of natural causes. I fear that the baby I held in my arms just once and then died supposedly in his sleep the next day was also killed. I fear that the two miscarriages I suffered were not supposed to be, unnatural considering the very beings that not only assure fertility but also childbirth is my mother.” Sigyn whispered, her breath hitching as the memories were remembered.

 

“And why have you never gone to me with these fears?” Frigga asked as she wrapped her arm across Sigyn’s shoulder and pulled her to a hug, her other hand continuing her ritual of rubbing her back.

 

“Because they have always happened while we were at Asgard, in residence in the palace for some feast or whatnot,” was Sigyn’s reply, a reply whispered so softly that Frigga had to pause to gauge if she had heard right.

 

“You are accusing someone in Asgard, someone living or working here at my home, of killing my grandchildren, a Prince or Princess of Asgard?” Frigga asked, wanting to be sure that she understood right. Oh, she knew she understood right, but with allegations such as these, from someone who could very well have her Vanir Assembly declare war on Asgard, she needed confirmation that she understood right.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And it could not be someone from Vanaheim?”

 

“No Vanir would dare try and harm me or those that are mine. My handmaidens stay in Vanaheim when I am here in Asgard. My only child that almost reached her fifth name day was Alivia and that was partially because I had to stay in Vanaheim the whole time due to my duties. Except when I came here to court to officially introduce her to your court, as is your custom. And then, the night before she could be declared Princess of Asgard and afforded protection on her fifth birth day as is permissible, she is dead in her small bed.” Sigyn shook her head, as if to clear whatever was in her mind. “So when I found out I was pregnant again, I made even more steps to ensure the baby would be safe. And as you see with Narvi, it has worked.”

 

Silence settled between the two mothers as they let the afternoon sun touch their skin, let the soft breeze graze them and rattle their skirts lightly. Neither said a word, Sigyn feeling that she had explained herself enough while Frigga digested everything said and decided on whether to act as a queen or as the patron of motherhood.

 

“Sigyn,” Frigga began, calling the attention of the said royal. Frigga gave her a soft smile. “I understand why Loki was so drawn to you. You both have a sense for drama and never do things in a small scale. It always has to be the big, huge scale that encompasses everyone for you two.”

 

“If Loki’s point of reference is when he threw an inter-realm tantrum over finding out he’s a jotun and adopted, then I don’t disagree with anything you said, mother.” Sigyn snorted out, finding she was once again comfortable with calling this woman ‘mother’ again (not that Freya minded since she was called ‘mom’ or some other variant more often than not. ‘Mother’ was reserved for the most formal of occasions only).

 

“Yes. And I understand why you did what you did.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I do not agree with the manner you did it, but I will not speak against it.”

 

“Nonetheless. Thank you. It means a lot to me, and I suspect it will mean a lot to Loki as well.” Sigyn replied softly as she ran a hand through her hair, now thankful that two conversations that were stressing her out back in the helicarrier were done.

 

“You will not mind if I plan a feast for Narvi on his next name day, daughter?” Frigga asked as she stood up, holding an arm out for Sigyn to put a hand on as they walked through the gardens.

 

“I do not. You have missed many opportunities to be a grandmother. My mother will insist on being there as well, of course.”

 

“Of course. Let us hope that by then, Loki will be released from his sentence and free to be present in the festivities honoring his son. And be free to give me more grandchildren I dare say I hope, one that I can watch grow up.” Frigga laughed lightly at the blush that came on Sigyn’s cheeks. “You both did so good with Alivia, and now Narvi, I’m sure another child will also be as wonderful as they have been.”

 

“Well, you haven’t seen Narvi’s Loki tendencies yet, so I won’t be laughing that hard at the idea.”

 

“I’ve dealt with Loki growing up. His children can not be as difficult as he was as a child.”

 

“Well, technically speaking, he is still difficult now.”

 

“Yes. But it’s your primary duty to scold him, you being his wife. It is no longer mine.”

 

“Yes. Oh joy.” Sigyn muttered darkly under her breath causing a small chuckle from Frigga to escape her lips.

 

“Come daughter. Let’s walk to Sleipnir’s stall as you tell me more of Narvi.”

 

* * *

 

“Daddy, teach me something.”

 

Those were the words that left Narvi’s mouth, in a small demanding voice that made Loki raise an eyebrow at his son. Teach him something? Well, Loki wondered, just what did you teach a young sorcerer anyway? He tried to think back to his own childhood, trying to remember what and how he had learned the fundamentals.

 

Loki closed his eyes as a particular memory came to him – the first time he had learned how to change the appearance of objects at will, starting from their color, to their shape, their density and then their size. He had learned it from watching Frigga apply such magic to her clothes, had mastered it on Thor’s numerous little faux weapons before moving on to bigger targets. Like that one time he turned the golden throne of the All-Father into a rainbow colored gemstone.

 

Where else did his daughter get the idea to make Fandral’s hair the colors of the rainbow?

 

 Opening his eyes to scan his cell, he spotted a small candlestick and summoned it towards him.

 

Narvi watched the candlestick levitate towards his father in amazement. While his mother was also a sorcerer and knew seior like the back of her hand, he knew that it was his father who was the superior one in terms of magic with her mother mastering in her potions, poisons and healing spells. “Are you going to teach me how to levitate things daddy? Because mommy can do it too, but she can’t do it for long periods of time.” Narvi asked, looking up to his father from his position at Loki’s knee.

 

“No. There’s something else I’ve a mind to teach you. Practice it when you’re in Midgard, and don’t tell your mother I’ve thought you this. Don’t even show it to her when she comes back.” Loki said, laughter in his voice.

 

“Oh. Can I use it on the Avengers?” Narvi asked after a beat as Loki held up the candlestick and turned it into a brass snake that slithered away.

 

“With my pleasure.” Loki snapped his fingers and the brass snake turned once more into its original state. “First step before you can even change its color is that you have to understand the composition of the object you are to transform. Once you understand that, then it’ll become infinitely easier to change objects into other beings at will.”

 

“What about people?”

 

Loki shook his head. “We start with objects first and then move on to body parts that are easy to manage, like hair.”

 

Narvi pouted. “But I promised Mr. Stark that I can turn his boss into Barney.”

 

Loki almost snarled at the thought that Stark had spoken to his son then the rest of Narvi’s words registered. “Director Fury as Barney you say?” Loki almost beamed at the mere thought of the man who had offered him a magazine to read as a fictional purple dinosaur Sigyn had once written to him about.

 

Oh yes. His children had all gotten their sense of mischief from him. He was a proud father at the moment. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Director Fury, you received a summons by the Council while you were away,” were the first words out of Maria Hill’s mouth when Nick Fury came back from a meeting with the Avengers.

 

In his mind, he already knew what this meeting was going to be about because there really were only a couple of options. It was going to be about the return of the Avengers, the possible return of the war criminal, Loki, and the news that there had been another Asgardian – or well, a Vanir princess and her half-Vanir, half-Asgardian or half-Jotun son or whatever Loki plus her ‘handmaiden’ as said princess put it -  that had been residing on Earth without their knowledge.

 

In short, it was almost certainly going to be one of those meetings where he would want to take a glass of whiskey directly after.

 

“Director Fury, we have received your report on the visit by the Ambassador of Asgard and the minutes of your meeting with the Avengers. When were we to be made aware that there is a mission currently underway that would have the war criminal, Prince Loki of Asgard,” one of the male Councilmen practically growled Loki’s name and title out, “return to the very planet he tried to take over?”

 

Fury cocked his head at the councilman. “I was going to tell you later tonight, at the usual weekly brief. But seeing that you all thought it would be splendid to jump the gun and call me out onto the rug as it is, then let’s go ahead and discuss it.”

 

“What is there to discuss?! The war criminal must be arrested and undergo our legal process as soon as he step foot anywhere on our planet that is under our jurisdiction!” Yet another councilman shouted in a heavy Texan accent.

 

Fury rolled his eyes. This was a new member, obviously representing the interests of the United States of America given the accent, and thinking this was the same ballgame as being a high-ranking official in the Pentagon or in the American military and bullying others into submission. He fought the urge to snap back and turned his attention to the lone female councilwoman, one he liked to think was from London given her posh accent, though he could be wrong.

 

“Councilwoman, would you agree with my assessment in the report that our foremost interest in the manner is to make sure whatever darkness the prophecy spoke of never comes?” He asked her pointedly. After a hesitant yes, he surged on, this time facing the other members of the twelve-membered council. “Then do any of you have any alternatives to having said war criminal help? As it stands, we have no plans to introduce him to the fray as he is currently serving his sentence in Asgard. If the need to have him help does arise, the United States of America undoubtedly will have jurisdiction of his case in Manhattan and ‘double jeopardy’ will save his sorry alien ass.”

 

“So if he were to step foot on American soil first, you would not arrest him and bring him to justice?” Councilman #3 asked in a bewildered tone.

 

“That’s right. No reason to seeing as he will only come back to help the cause.”

 

“Shall we move on to more pressing issues. This other Asgardian that is married to the war criminal and her son and this companion, what is their cause to be here and for such an extended period of time?” Councilman #4 asked in a heavily accented English, suggesting to Fury that this one came from somewhere in East Asia.

 

“She is actually not Asgardian.” Fury paused as he considered how outrageous the whole situation is. “She’s Crown Princess Sigyn of Vanaheim and has been here to study the history and workings of our planet. My team is currently compiling a report listing each of her known addresses under her alias, Sophia West, and it shall be sent to you as soon as it is finished. Her son, Prince Narvi Lokason of Asgard and Vanaheim, poses no initial threat and I have every intention to have an agent on their tails the whole time they are under my supervision. Their companion is a handmaiden who goes by the name of Aina. As we have observed, she is mostly concerned with helping the Princess and Prince along in their mundane activities and pose no threat.”

 

“Men, may I suggest we deal with her after the mission is accomplished?” Councilwoman-who-sounds-like-she-hails-from-the-UK-but-could-possibly-come-from-somewhere-else interjected. “I think our most pressing issue is what to do with the Avengers who have consistently ignored our orders.”

 

Fury turned his attention to her, not bothering to correct the woman that while he had assembled the team back to fight Loki, that did not mean they were all S.H.I.E.L.D operatives. “And what does that exactly mean ma’am?”

 

* * *

 

 

“Sigyn, may I speak with you for a moment,” came a voice just as Sigyn was exiting Sleipnir’s stall.

 

Sigyn kept her hand on Sleipnir’s nose for a moment longer as she finished feeding him the apple she held in her hand. She risked ignoring her father-in-law for a moment longer before she let herself out of Sleipnir’s stall and gave the All-Father what her mother had once called her ‘diplomatic smile.’ “About anything in particular All-Father?” She replied, giving a small and quick curtsey.

 

“My son.”

 

“Thor?” Sigyn asked just to be contrary though she knew that he was referring to Loki.

 

Odin let out a sigh and sat down in a stone bench that Loki had long ago had installed just outside Sleipnir’s stall. He patted the stone bench, motioning for her to sit down as well. “I meant Loki.”

 

“Hmmm,” Sigyn chose to lean against Sleipnir’s stall door instead. “I didn’t know he was still referred to as your son after all that had happened.”

 

Odin looked at his daughter-in-law with his good eye then shook his head, maybe at exasperation at having to deal with that reaction every time he would refer to Loki as an Odinson and Prince of Asgard. “I knew that there was some sort of fire in you for Loki to consider that arranged marriage when it was first mentioned. I see you are capable of just enough spite as he is.”

 

“Considering all the shit that has happened to our family, then I think I’m allowed to be spiteful. I can’t speak for my husband since he already made his feelings known.”

 

“Nonetheless, I still consider him as a part of my house, my family. My wife feels the same and I believe Thor does as well. That my wife has come to adore your son in a short time also speaks of our consideration of Loki as an Odinson.” Odin replied.

 

Sigyn considered it all for a minute before answering. “What about Loki?”

 

“You are aware of his sentence?”

 

“Yes. He is to stay in the dungeons until you decide on a more permanent sentence for his crimes on Midgard.” Sigyn paused as she remembered that Loki had also sent the Destroyer to kill Thor when Thor was banished to Midgard. “I assume that Loki will not be punished for his crimes when you were in your Odin-sleep and he was King of Asgard for a short while, correct?”

 

Odin gave a grave smile. “Is that the wish of the Crown Princess of Vanaheim?”

 

Sigyn pursed her lips and walked toward Odin, sinking to her knees as she sat at his feet. “It is a daughter asking her father-in-law,” she replied, knowing that Loki being difficult was enough to send the old man to yet another Odin-sleep and she didn’t need to necessarily add on to it.

 

Odin let a rare gentle smile creep out and patted Sigyn’s shoulder. “No. I have decided that it would not be right for me to include in his sentence his acts as King of Asgard. I can scold him as his father, I can scream at him even if he wishes not to listen, but I will not add that into his sentence. He will be told to pay for damages done from his personal vault. The new King of Jotunheim is also adamant that Loki renounce his claim to the throne of Jotunheim as the oldest child of Laufey-“

 

“He will. If he even entertains the thought, I will personally knock sense into him this time around. I promise.” Sigyn interjected.

 

“-and he will not be allowed to step foot on Jotunheim unless invited. Aside from these actions, there will be no punishment dealt.”

 

Sigyn nodded then tilted her head. “Do you wish for me to convey this Loki? Is that why….?”

 

Odin gave a small, almost invisible shake of his head. “I will tell him of my decision when it is time to tell him of his whole sentence. I have several questions for you, something I wish for you to answer as both Loki’s wife and as the Crown Princess of one of Asgard’s strongest allies.”

 

“I will answer to my best capability.”

 

“Will Narvi be a more permanent fixture?”

 

Sigyn blinked a few times before nodding slowly. “I sure hope so. He is a smart boy and I raised him as my mother raised me. He will be a fine ruler of Vanaheim one day.”

 

“So the throne of Asgard is not in your sights?”

 

Sigyn felt her spine automatically snap straight then relaxed a moment later. “Ahh. This is one of the questions I shall answer in my official capacity.” When she received no answer from the old man in front of her, she continued. “I have no plans and I don’t see how Narvi could possibly inherit your throne. One thing I am sure of is that once this mission of Midgard is over, I shall return to Vanaheim and resume my position. I will, of course, bring Narvi here every once in a while to know Asgard, but I will reside in my home. That and Thor is your Crown Prince. I do hope he starts his own family soon.”

 

Odin nodded in agreement with her last sentence and moved on. “Will Vanaheim interfere in Loki’s sentencing?”

 

“I know of no plans but I know we have no grounds as immunity does not apply to a spouse of an heir apparent. As such, I shall wait for your judgment on my husbands crimes then wait for him to be able to return to me.” Sigyn answered carefully even as a plan started to form in her head. She looked at Odin who simply stared back and wondered if Odin had asked to talk to her to plant this particular seed. Did he not want to personally punish his wayward adopted son?

 

Odin clasped a hand over hers that was resting on her lap and patted her gently. “That is good to know. My wife is readying several healing materials for you to bring back to Midgard. Thor says you are in need of more.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“And the Librarian has sent the books you’ve requested. They await for you at the Bifrost, along with the healing materials and what you requested from your handmaiden.” Odin stood up and held out a hand to Sigyn, which she took as she stood up.

 

Sigyn watched as Odin walked over to Sleipnir’s stall and gave him another apple before turning to back to her. “You shall return to Loki?”

 

“I have to make sure he hasn’t corrupted our child yet.”

 

Odin let out a small chuckle. “He is a son of Loki. Mischief runs in his blood. This is true even to Sleipnir.”

 

* * *

 

When Sigyn, accompanied by Thor, reached Loki’s cell, she found what she naturally assumed was yet another illusion to mask whatever it was that Loki and Narvi were doing. She let out a sigh. “Should I be afraid of what you two are doing inside?”

 

A moment later, the illusion vanished and she saw that Loki was placing something under a pillow as Narvi got up from his lap. “Mama! You’re back. Is it time to go back to the floating fortress?”

 

Thor answered for her as the force field was once again let down and he helped Sigyn up to the cell. “Yes. It is time to return to Midgard.” He stayed where he was, preferring to let the three of them say goodbye.

 

Sigyn glanced around and saw that her books were nowhere to be seen.

 

“They were picked up by a guard a while ago to take to the Bifrost.” Loki explained as he swung his legs off his bed and stood up as Narvi got off as well. “Everything finished?” He asked as he watched Sigyn stoop down to check on Narvi. He rolled his eyes. “I taught him nothing that he would not learn anyway.”

 

Sigyn gave him a dry look. “I don’t know whether to take that as a good thing or a bad thing.”

 

Loki fought off his smirk at the thought of Narvi turning Fury into an ape. Instead he shrugged before pulling her near and giving her a kiss on the forehead. “What did my mother say?” He whispered, his lips brushing against her forehead gently.

 

“Nothing worth repeating.” Sigyn replied in the same manner, keeping close to her husband with a hand on his arm, even Narvi stared at his parents. “Odin talked to me.”

 

Loki looked at her sharply. “About what?”

 

Sigyn kissed him gently on the lips. “He will tell you himself. He said nothing wrong to me and did no harm. Simply inquired about Narvi and what I plan to do after the mission in Midgard.”

 

“Are you sure there was nothing of importance that needs to be said now?”

 

“Nothing. Now say farewell. Who knows when we’ll see you again,” Sigyn replied as she pulled away and let Narvi hook his arms around Loki’s waist.

 

“See you when I see you again daddy.”

 

“It will be unnatural for me to say this but do as your uncle bids you when you are in training. Thor is,” Loki glanced outside his cell where Thor was watching, his arms crossed as if waiting for Loki to finish his sentence. “Your Uncle Thor is a very good fighting teacher. If his style of fighting does not work, I am sure there is someone who can teach you to defend yourself until you can be formally taught.”

 

“Yes daddy. And I’ll practice that trick you taught me too!”

 

Sigyn looked at Loki wearily. “What trick?”

 

“Again, nothing he would not have learned.”

 

Sigyn sighed. “Swear to me.”

 

“I swear it will do no harm, what I taught our son.”

 

Narvi smiled at his mother as if to assure her that his plans on turning Director Fury into a purple dinosaur was not harmful in anyway.

 

Unless Barney Fury went on a rampage if he couldn’t turn him back but Narvi liked to think he could hide behind his Uncle Thor’s cape if that ever happened.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do believe this is the longwest chapter. So far. I'm in the middle of simultaneously writing Chapter Seven and Interlude II and both are shaping up to be just as long as this one. I just really wanted to be finished with Asgard and Frigga had a lot to say and then suddenly Fury and Odin had to have a say as well.
> 
> Also! Visuals for the House of Loki are now in my tumblr. http://a-metaphysical-gravity.tumblr.com/post/75781949111/holding-on-to-gravity-faceclaims-house-of-loki


	9. Interlude (II) - Year One

** Interlude (II) – Year One **

****

“And now I have two.”

 

Those were the first words Loki heard from his new teacher. He watched as a not so frail but no doubt old man stepped into the front of the room. If he were to guess, Master Kvasir was about the age of High King Njord.

 

In short, very old, and undoubtedly very powerful.

 

Kvasir smiled gently at the Crown Princess and then turned to face Loki with a more withdrawn, almost tentative face at the Asgardian. “But two what exactly, I do not know.”

 

He sat down across them and opened his palms on the long table that separated them. “If you will excuse me Princess, I will be giving my usual opening lecture.” He turned to Loki again, pausing before continuing. “I now have two pupils, two protégés, two assistants, under my wing. This will not be the usual way of teaching where I lecture you on theories and give you time to practice. Instead, I will give you books to read and we shall debate on them during our time together. I will send you to the far reaches of Vanaheim, and maybe even Alfheim if Prince Loki stays long enough, so that you may use what I teach you here from the books and practical uses of whatever branch of seior you decide to specialize in. Understood?”

 

“I understand Master Kvasir.” Loki acquiesced as Sigyn simply nodded in answer.

 

Kvasir sat back. “Since the three of us will be working together, at least for the mornings since Princess Sigyn has her own concentration most afternoons, we will not start our studies today.” He pointed at the two of them. “For the next three hours, you two will get to know each other.”

 

He stood up as the two stayed seated.

 

“Master Kvasir? Are you leaving?” Sigyn asked as she suddenly sat up, alert as Kvasir made his way back to where he entered.

 

“I will be inside my office, making sure you two converse with one another. You two will have missions together and trust will be the key to your success.” Kvasir paused and gave them another smile. “Think of it as an exercise for the future chief advisor of the King of Asgard, and the future Queen of Vanaheim, two realms that are naturally allies.”

 

Sigyn looked alarmingly at Loki than at Kvasir. “No offense to the Prince but I’m not completely comfortable with being alone with him. Nor am I allowed I believe.”

 

“No offense taken Princess,” was Loki’s dry response.

 

“I assure you both, I will be able to hear everything from my office.” Kvasir paused. “If you’d like, I can start your conversation.”

 

Loki gave him a ‘go ahead’ gesture as Sigyn glanced wearily at the man next to her, someone she would have to be stuck with for a long period of time.

 

“In the mythology of the mortals, the say that you, my Prince, is married to a Sigyn as well.” Kvasir held his palms out. “Discuss,” then he left the two of them alone.

 

“I guess my mother must be venturing into Midgard. And again, not to be offensive, Prince Loki, but I have no urge at all to marry you.” Sigyn said after a brief moment of silence following the exit of the old man.

 

“And here I am, ready to start yet another war between our nations for your refusal to marry me.”

 

Sigyn held in the urge to roll her eyes as she got up to open the windows, letting the fresh, ocean breeze that seemed to roll through the whole of the Capital come in. “That you would want to start a war flatters me, Prince Loki.”

 

While Sigyn had resisted her urge to roll her eyes, Loki did no such thing and rolled his eyes as he also got up, starting to browse the books in the shelves of the room they were in. “I am Aesir. I start wars over every little threat to my honor.” He said in an exaggerated tone that did cause Sigyn to roll her eyes as she instinctively reached for a book on a shelf near here, knowing the contents of the room far better after being tutored by Kvasir for a little more than a decade.

 

“And I am Vanir and I like to talk everything out to avoid wars, honor or not.” Sigyn replied as she hoisted herself to the windowsill, keeping the skirts of her daily gown tucked under her legs. “The mortals have weird ideas about you. If a Prince of Asgard were to be married, I think I would have heard of it.”

 

Loki grinned her way. “As you can see, I am not.”

 

Sigyn nodded as she opened the book in her hands, a treatise on the place of women in society. “I can see since you just offered to go to war for my hand.” Her eyes met his and then she let out a small laugh.

 

Loki pulled a book that interested him and sat back down, opening it. “I would ask what is so funny but I seem to remember a little version of you hiding behind me once upon a time.”

 

“Oh. That was you? I thought it was some other noble.” Sigyn waved it away as she turned her attention to the view outside the window. “This is going to be fun.” She whispered under her breath before she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears and began reading.

 

* * *

 

 

“Princess Sigyn.”

 

Loki received no answer from the Vanir princess and he tried again. It was late in the afternoon and he really wanted to return to his quarters to rest after a particularly draining seior lesson with Kvasir. While yes, he had mastered the usage of illusions and most attack and defense seior, even some basic shape shifting, he was only now learning those considered taboo in Asgard, but not on Vanaheim.

 

It was all draining and all he wanted was to bathe in peace. Now if only the princess in front of him would reply.

 

“Princess Sigyn.”

 

This time, he received an absent wave of her hand, as she stayed bent over the book she was reading, her attention never wavering as she turned the page.

 

Making a mental note that he did not sign up for this when he agreed to undergo tutelage by Kvasir, undoubtedly one of the best seior users aside from the Goddess of Seior herself, Loki tried yet again. “Crown Princess Sigyn.”

 

This time, he did receive an answer. A soft ‘grr’ escaped her lips and he felt the quick tugging of his lips at the sound of a lady of her station growling. “Did you just growl at me Princess Sigyn?”

 

Sigyn recognized the voice, heard the amusement laced within the said voice, and looked up from her place on the steps of one of the stairs leading to one of many fountains made to imitate a waterfall in the royal gardens. “May I help you Prince Loki?” She asked, curious since he never actively sought her out outside of Kvasir’s classroom and the dinners he would sometimes attend.

 

“I thought you might like this Princess back.” Loki said, hand reaching to the shoulder of one small figure hiding under his cape. “It seems you Freyjadottirs enjoy hiding beneath my cape.”

 

Sigyn fought very hard to not let her surprise be seen and she opened her arms for her youngest sister. “What are you doing hiding underneath Prince Loki’s cape, Snottra?” She asked, eyes wide at the whole situation. “And I did not hide beneath your cape. I hid beneath the table in which your cape just happened to be there.”

 

Snottra, more than half Sigyn’s age and looked to be nine or ten in Midgardian years, placed a finger on her lips and looked around as she gave a brief ‘ssh’ before sitting next to Sigyn, behind a fern that Freyja had the gardener plant next to this particular waterfall.

 

Getting no answer from the youngest Freyjadottir, she turned her attention to the Odinson who had brought her here.

 

“I found her hiding behind one of the pillars of the guest house. She looked to be hiding from someone.” Loki explained and Sigyn nodded, realization dawning.

 

“She must have been hiding from her own tutor.” She said then looked down at her sister and sighed before standing up. “Come on, imp. Let’s go hide in my quarters.” She turned to Loki just as Snottra wrapped an arm around Sigyn’s waist, a finger hitching onto the thin golden belt Sigyn wore with her daily gown. Sigyn wrapped and arm around her sister’s shoulder. “Thank you for bringing my sister to me, Prince Loki.”

 

Loki nodded and reached for her hand, kissing her knuckles briefly and straightened up. “I shall see you at the evening meal, Princess Sigyn.”

 

“And you.” Sigyn muttered under her breath as she watched his retreating back. She glanced down at her sister. “What was the lesson that had you escaping from your tutor?” She asked as she led them down the stairs and path.

 

“Mistress was trying to make me learn about the War. It was boring.” Snottra replied as she kept close to her sister, in case the handmaiden in charge of her would come looking for her. She knew her sisters would keep her out of trouble. Or at least, Sigyn would, and Var too, but not Nanna or Lofn. No, those two would lead her straight back to her tutor.

 

Snottra was glad that the visiting Prince of Asgard took her to Sigyn.

 

* * *

 

 

There were many things Sigyn would rather be doing, quite honestly. She had an essay on the history of the line of succession in Jotunheim (why she was studying it, she knew not since her Aunt Gerda, a Jotun herself, had already told her all about King Laufey and his wayward sons), a book on the dynamics of the lower rungs of Vanir society to read by the next full moon in just ten days (650 pages!), a healing potion to perfect, not to mention she had to read over the latest reports for her visit to the Vanir Assembly in the morning.

 

But yet, here she was, climbing a tree. It wasn’t her fault either. Snottra had simply tossed a ball too high and it ended up in one of the trees surrounding the Royal Gardens.

 

If she had mastered the levitation aspect of seior, she may already be on the ground. But as it was, she simply had no skill for anything outside the sphere of healing seior and different types of potions, so she was going to have to make do with climbing the tree. Conveniently forgetting that she didn’t know how to climb down a tree.

 

With a sigh, she decided to either guess her way through it, or jump down. With closed eyes, she threw the small red ball over her shoulder, at the general vicinity where Snottra was waiting for the offending object to be thrown back at the ground.

 

What she didn’t know was that Loki had run into the situation himself in a stroll he had taken to get some fresh air. When Snottra’s eyes lit up at the sight of him, he out a finger on his lips, the universal sign to be quiet.

 

Snottra nodded and pointed at where her sister was, at the third branch of the tree.

 

An eyebrow rose and Loki knelt down. “I’ll take care of this. Why don’t you go hide and scare your sister?” He asked quietly. With a nod, Snottra hurriedly hid behind a large bush nearby and Loki stood up just as a ball was hurled his way.

 

“Have I done something wrong to incur your wrath, Princess Sigyn?” Loki drawled out, quite enjoying this small bubble of amusement that he had walked into.

 

Startled, Sigyn turned around, grasping the trunk of the tree as she stumbled a bit, having turned too quickly. “I’m so sorry!”

 

Loki held the ball in his palm. “Should I take this as an act of war, Princess?”

 

“No! Of course not! Purely an accident. My sister, she accidentally threw the ball too high and it landed here so…here I am.” Sigyn finished lamely, gesturing to her general vicinity, knowing in her mind she sounded quite idiotic.

 

“There you are.”

 

She heard a small giggle – well, not so small considering she could hear it from her place up in a tree - but she was sure it was Snottra. “And here you are.” Sigyn replied, not really knowing why he was there in the first place.

 

“Here I am. The innocent Prince of Asgard, out for a walk in the Royal Gardens when suddenly, a ball thrown by the Crown Princess of Vanaheim is thrown at my direction.”

 

Sigyn fought off the urge to scoff at his description of being ‘innocent.’ Aina had made it her duty to forever warn her off any association with him, murmuring on and on about his dalliances and whatnot. So, innocent? She knew he was not. But that was not the issue at hand.

 

“Well… My sister was there just a minute ago.” She said, pointing to where he was standing.

 

“And now she is not.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Leading us to this unfolding inter-realm incident..” Loki dramatically held his hands out, as if this would really start some sort of incident at any level.

 

“Inter-realm –“ Sigyn paused, exasperated, and continued. “Will you please stop playing with me, Prince Loki?”

 

“If the Princess insists, then I shall.” A hand found it’s way to his chest as Loki nodded his head in a mockingly solemn manner.

 

“Well, I also insist that you turn around.” Sigyn said as she figured she had enough of being mocked for the day and indicated with her finger that he was to turn around.

 

He may be twice her age, but she was still of higher rank than him.

 

“Whatever for Princess?” Loki asked, despite knowing full well why.

 

“So I can maneuver my way down without you looking up my skirt.”

 

At the mere mention of it, Loki glanced up and while he actually couldn’t see anything, he tilted his head, pretending that he could. “But I rather like my view at the moment.”

 

“Prince Loki!”

 

With a sigh, Loki closed his eyes as he held a hand out to her general area, as if to take her hand for when she reached the bottom branch, to help her down. “If you insist.”

 

It took Sigyn a while, but, accepting the hand offered, she was finally on good, solid ground. She let out a breath of relief and, taking her hand out of Loki’s own, she smoothed down her gown. “Thank you Prince Loki.”

 

“It is no trouble at all, Princess Sigyn.”

 

Sigyn nodded before turning to the attention of a giggling bush. “Snottra, one more giggle out of you and I’m bringing you back to your tutor and will not help you escape your lessons until the next full moon. And I’ll make sure Var will not as well.”

 

“But sister! I didn’t mean any harm! Prince Loki thought of it.” Snottra whined as she left her hiding spot and pouted.

 

“Very harsh, Princess Sigyn.” Loki murmured under his breath.

 

“You sometimes have to be with little siblings.” Sigyn said before turning back to him. “I thought you would be having a lesson with Master Kvasir.”

 

“He let me out early. It seems we shall have our first quest together tomorrow.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Rocket voice* Oh yeaaaaaah~
> 
> Anyway, yes! I am still doing this story! Real life got the better of me for a while, and my interest waned for a bit, but I am back to writing this! Hopefully, people are still interested in this little story of mine.
> 
> Also, thank you so much to everyone who have been leaving kudos and the like even during the hiatus. If there's anything that makes me want to write more, it's probably that (and the little voice in my head that won't shut up until I write something out, but that's a story for another time).


End file.
